A Temporary Fix
by animerival
Summary: Team Satisfaction AU. Kiryu reunites his old friends at college, but he can't fix the tension between Yuusei and Jack, and he can't hide the fact that he's falling apart. Yuusei will do anything to keep him together, but his devotion may not be enough to save him. Treasonshipping, justiceshipping, one-sided kingcrabshipping.
1. Intruders and a Shadow

**Chapter One: Intruders and a Shadow**

When Jack opened the door to the insistent knocker, he wasn't sure what to expect. Few visited his apartment, especially without calling first. His expression changed from mild curiosity and irritation to shock at the sight of his former friend looking just as he remembered: frosty-blue hair, cat-like golden eyes, unhealthily thin frame. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kiryu grinned up at him. "Did you grow again, Jack? You're practically a giant." Unfazed by Jack's scowl and obvious discomfort, he added, "And that's no way to greet a friend."

Jack backed into his apartment before Kiryu did something crazy like stab or hug him, but this allowed Kiryu enough room to enter too. "How did you find my address?" asked Jack.

Kiryu shrugged and played with a dangling end of his headband. "That's not a problem for me, the leader of Team Satisfaction."

"Team Satisfaction... doesn't exist anymore." Flashes of days long past, of four high school friends playing together, getting in trouble as one, went through Jack's mind. Kiryu didn't register his words. He paced Jack's living room, trailing his fingers over a sofa's velvet upholstery before turning his attention to an Oriental vase filled with fake flowers. When Jack spotted his tiny smirk, he wondered in a moment of paranoia if Kiryu could tell Jack had tried to keep real flowers there until he'd failed enough times to give in and buy plastic replacements; surely Kiryu couldn't have guessed that. Jack was tired of being ignored anyway, so he raised his voice and spoke again. "I left for a reason."

"Then come back for one." An imploring gaze rooted him to the spot. It was so different from the final one he'd received from Kiryu two years ago, one full of hate and fury. "We made a promise, don't you remember?" Kiryu'd made his way to the kitchenette now and leaned his elbows on a marble-top counter. His proximity to a drawer of cutlery alarmed Jack, but he forced himself to give Kiryu the benefit of the doubt. He seemed well, perhaps even happy to be talking to Jack again.

"I remember."

Kiryu instantly brightened, straightening up and extending a hand. "Then let's do it! We'll be Team Satisfaction again, attending our dream college like we always planned!" Jack eyed his hand as the moments passed. He was the first to make a move, and it was turning his back.

"No. That isn't what I want anymore."

"Crow agreed."

That he didn't mention Yuusei's compliance meant more than if he had. Of course Yuusei would be sticking with him, with Team Satisfaction. Kiryu, Crow, and Yuusei, together at college, fulfilling a promise made that night long ago. It wasn't admirable to break a promise, Jack knew, but circumstances had changed so much since the oath was uttered among them.

"I'm not Crow, and I'm not going."

"Jack..." Kiryu walked into his line of sight and gave him another searching look. "You'll change your mind."

"Goodbye, Kiryu."

He led Kiryu to the front door and waited for him to go. He did, however grudgingly, shouting over his shoulder once more that Jack would definitely come back to them.

* * *

"The deadline for applying passed a long time ago, Kiryu. It wouldn't matter if Jack had said yes," Yuusei said from half under the car he was tuning up for a neighbor. Kiryu was nearby on the concrete floor, legs stretched out towards the garage's opening. The temperature was relentlessly rising as noon approached, causing Kiryu to take a gulp from another chilled water bottle before answering.

"He's definitely going to be our classmate this fall. Or are you underestimating _the _Jack Atlas?" Kiryu teased. "He could sway any admissions counselor into letting him in. Actually, he could probably do that just by dropping your father's name."

Yuusei muttered an oath under his breath, though it was impossible to tell if it was due to his frustration with the car's rusted state or Jack. He was glad Crow was keeping their promise but far from devastated that Jack had declined to. Hoping to turn the conversation away form him, he asked Kiryu to pass him the wrench.

"Sure, hold on." He heard Kiryu rummage through his various tools for the wrench. A hand reached under the car and purposefully grazed the exposed skin of Yuusei's stomach with the cold handle. Yuusei shivered and snatched the tool before Kiryu put it to more creative uses. Soon after, the car's parts seemed in working order, so he slid back out.

Kiryu was leaned against the side of the car, leafing through yesterday's paper. Without looking up, he handed a bottle of water to Yuusei, who chugged it gratefully. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed. "I could really use a shower."

"Oh, me too." Kiryu jumped up and started toward their front door.

"I don't think so, Kiryu," Yuusei laughed. "I'm trying to get clean."

Promising he'd make it up to him later, Yuusei hopped into the shower alone and washed the sweat and oil from his body. He stayed there even after he felt clean, blankly staring at the water swirling down the drain. In one week, he would be at college with Kiryu and Crow. It would be like the old times, when everything was good, but Jack would be missing.

Yuusei shook his head. Jack _chose _to be missing. He'd been given the opportunity to come back and he hadn't taken it. A quiet voice in the back of his head said he might have, if Yuusei and not Kiryu had asked.

Not wanting to waste any more water, he snapped out of his reverie and toweled off. He found Kiryu'd spent his time waiting for Yuusei on packing more of their things. They didn't have much, but they were going to have to move most of it to the dorm, since they wouldn't be renting this place anymore. Anything deemed not absolutely vital would be sold or donated.

"What do you think, Yuusei?" Kiryu asked, holding up a boombox someone had tossed and Yuusei had repaired. "Keep or sell?"

"Keep." He could think of several instances where it would be useful to drown out other noises in their room.

When they made it through a pile of random belongings, they took a break and lay down on the carpet side by side. "This year's gonna be great, Yuusei."

"Yes," Yuusei affirmed, despite that nagging voice telling him not to be so sure.

* * *

The bed in the spare room was where Jack retreated to think. Without posters on the walls or other distractions, he could focus more clearly on analyzing a problem. Right now, however, he wasn't sure he even had a problem. Kiryu had visited, but Jack didn't have to follow through on the promise; he didn't have to see Kiryu or Crow or Yuusei again, and that had worked out well enough for the last two years. The pang of loneliness he felt when he pictured the three of them hanging out at college wasn't nearly enough to change his mind.

Someone knocked on his front door. Jack ignored whoever it was, hoping they'd go away or, if it was Kiryu again, that he'd at least have the decency not to break in. After realizing no one was coming, the person shouted, "Jack, I brought ramen!"

That was worth leaving the comfort of bed. He unlocked the door and let Kazama in. He was still wearing his cop uniform so he must have just gotten off work. Two containers of Jack's favorite flavor of ramen were balanced in his left hand. "I knew you were home," Kazama said, smiling at him. Jack grunted and locked the door behind him. Kazama walked to the kitchenette to heat up the ramen. "Bad day? Or should I wait until you've eaten and ask again?"

"It's nothing." Jack waited impatiently for the microwave to beep and surrender his meal. When it did, though, Kazama refused to hand it over.

"You can tell me what's wrong."

Jack pouted, feeling so close yet so far from the delicious ramen. Ordinarily he'd just deck Kazama and grab it, but he didn't want to risk spilling even a noodle from his preferred brand. "...Fine. Kiryu came to see me." He was rewarded with the cup ramen, but Kazama clearly wanted to know more. Concern shone in his eyes at the mention of Kiryu's name.

"Is he okay?"

"Seemed like it." Jack spoke between mouthfuls. "But he's under the impression I'm going to be friends with him and the others again."

"So those three are still friends."

"Crow left for awhile, too," Jack said. "But Yuusei and Kiryu-" He frowned. "I thought Kiryu would hate me for testifying against him, but he didn't bring any of that up. Just a stupid promise that we'd all go to Tokushima together."

"Maybe he knows you did the right thing," Kazama offered. "So I take it you aren't going to attend college with them?" Sensing the hardest part of the conversation was over, he started preparing his own ramen.

"Of course not. I've had my acceptance and scholarships settled for months."

"What if you get lonely at college? You don't make friends easily, Jack."

"Hmmph. I don't need friends."

"Then who will bring you ramen?"

"I'll get my own!"

Kazama laughed. "Sure. But I am worried, Jack. You'll probably manage to break your cell phone the first day and I'll have to drive five hours to make sure you haven't died."

"So that's your ulterior motive," Jack smirked. "You know Tokushima's just an hour away, and you want to keep me here."

"Only because I know you need me." A beep from his phone caught Kazama's attention. "Situation downtown. Gotta go." All business now, he pushed his leftover ramen toward Jack and put his jacket back on. "Think about their offer, Jack," he said, then he was gone.

He did, if only so he could tell Kazama so. Still, he could think of no arguments for it and too many against. It was be easier, better, to continue on the path he'd started carving out for himself two years ago, when he'd broken away from Team Satisfaction.

Then Crow showed up.

When the door to his apartment opened without Jack's help three mornings later, he leapt around the corner and readied his fist to send the would-be burglar straight to the hospital. A shock of orange hair and a face tattooed in yellow made Jack instead choose to glower at the intruder. "Seriously? Now _you're_ breaking into my house?"

The cocky grin widened. "The security here sucks, Jack. Pretty sure I could have picked that lock in my sleep." Jack scowled and tried to look discreetly past Crow. If he were here, maybe someone else had tagged along. Crow picked up on his train of thought and said, "Don't bother. Yuusei's still too pissed at you to come along. I think he's more pissed than Kiryu, honestly. You're both too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

"_I'm _being stubborn? I told Kiryu no, and now he's sending more people to drag me off to college!"

Crow's grin faltered. "You told him no?" He whipped his phone out. "He told me to come help you pack your things! I'm going to let that liar-"

"Calm down. This is hardly surprisingly."

Crow had to agree, stowing the phone back into his vest pocket. He looked down at his feet and admitted, "I was hoping it was true. The four of us, together again."

"Things can't be like they were before."

"I hope not." Crow shuddered. "But I'm telling you, they wouldn't be. Kiryu saw that therapist and got the medication he needed. And if you would just stop being angry at Yuusei, he'd do the same for you."

"He has no reason to be mad at me! I did the right thing, and I'd do it again!"

"Come on, Jack. You can't tell me you don't miss us." His tone wavered between playful and hopeful.

"That's what I'm telling you. And what does it matter anyway? College is about to start, I can't-"

"There's nothing that college wouldn't do for a friend of Dr. Fudo's son," Crow said. "They worshipped the ground he walked on there, with all the research money and everything he brought in. I'm sure if Yuusei asked, you could be admitted this late."

"But if Yuusei hates me-"

Crow interrupted again. "He doesn't, Jack. He still considers you a friend, I know he does. And I do too."

Jack had to look away from earnest hazel eyes. Surely Kiryu and Crow couldn't expect to just barge into his life like this. "I'm not going."

Crow threw his hands up in frustration. "You just can't let the past go! Whatever. I have better things to do than try to convince a stubborn idiot to see his friends!" He stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Kiryu leaned all his weight against the overflowing luggage, trying to press it back far enough to get the car door closed. Since Yuusei was the only one with a vehicle, the three of them were carpooling to Tokushima. The trunk was full of Kiryu and Yuusei's belongings, and Crow's dominated the backseat. "Seriously, Crow, I think you might be more of a pack rat than a bird."

Crow retorted, "Hey, just be glad Jack's not coming! He probably would try to bring that velvet couch or something, along with three hundred outfits. And I think you guys will appreciate my bringing a television."

"We should have a movie night when we get settled in," agreed Kiryu. "I'll pick something good."

"You always pick! Let Yuusei pick."

Kiryu whispered conspiratorially, "He'll be too distracted to watch, anyway."

"Gah! I don't wanna hear it!" Crow covered his ears, shaking thoughts of Kiryu and Yuusei making out from his mind.

Yuusei appeared a moment later after checking the house for anything they might've left behind. With his help, they got the car door closed and then piled into the front, Crow willingly taking the middle so Kiryu couldn't distract Yuusei from driving.

"Let's go!" Yuusei sped off, as excited for this trip with his friends as he was about their destination. The worries of the last few days disappeared as the miles flew by. Crow and Kiryu sang along to old rock songs, arguing over who had a better voice and unable to make Yuusei play the judge.

When the radio started rattling off advertisements, Crow turned it down sighed in contentment. "It's hard to believe we're finally making good on that promise."

"This is gonna be a year to remember." Kiryu leaned his seat back as much as Crow's stuff allowed and stretched out, earning a gentle smack from Crow when his arm grazed his head. "Eh? Am I messing up Crow's hair?" He poised a finger over a button on the car door.

Crow growled, "Don't you dare!" but Kiryu pressed it anyway, lowering the window all the way. The resulting blast of air had Crow's hair flying wildly and visibly knotting. He lunged over Kiryu and tried to close the window, but Kiryu grabbed his arms and wrestled him away.

"Do you two mind?" Yuusei asked, leaning over so as to avoid stray flailing limbs.

"Sorry, Yuusei," Kiryu said, straightening up but holding onto Crow's wrists.

"Close the window, Kiryu."

"Make me."

"You'd like that," Yuusei muttered.

Crow took advantage of Kiryu's momentary distraction and slipped out of his grasp. He jabbed the up arrow victoriously, ending the wind's assault on his hair. "Dammit, Kiryu, this'll take forever to comb!"

"Aw, were you hoping to impress the ladies your first day?"

"Maybe," Crow said darkly. "Just because you and Yuusei have been dating practically since you met doesn't mean you should ignore the pain of us singles." He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the knots loose enough not to need a comb.

"Don't worry," said Kiryu. "We'll find you a girlfriend. Consider it the new Team Satisfaction's first mission!"

"Okay, calm down. I don't think girls appreciate being thought of as a 'mission.'"

"I don't know, wouldn't they like someone fighting for them?"

"Who the hell am I fighting?"

"The Jack Atlases of the world," explained Kiryu. "The ones the ladies flock to."

"Oh, if that's all," Crow said. Yuusei had to join in their laughter when he remembered Jack's earnest confession one day that he couldn't even buy a cup of coffee without someone falling in love with him. Only someone like Jack would be annoyed by this fact.

They passed a sign telling them Tokushima was close. "We should call Jack," said Kiryu. "Make him realize what he's missing out on."

"Drop it." Yuusei adjusted his speed at the influx of city traffic and glanced over at Kiryu. "If he doesn't want to come, he won't."

"Who needs him anyway?" Crow demanded, fingers working more desperately at his hair now that they were almost there. "Like Kiryu said, we're the new Team Satisfaction, right?"

He held out one fist. Kiryu's joined it and then Yuusei's. They pounded them together and smiled at one another, three inseparable friends doing their best to ignore the looming shadow of their missing fourth.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Team Satisfaction could always use another college AU, right?**

**I wonder if it seems strange to make a rare ship like justiceshipping (KazamaxJack) one of the main pairings? I adore it, though, and I can't watch a single episode with Kazama in it without falling for this ship even more.**

**I just chose a common place name for the university (thanks google search engine). Apparently, it means "virtue island." You know, the kind of place an M-rated fic would definitely belong.**

_next chapter: Roommates and a Pill_


	2. Roommates and a Pill

**Chapter Two: Roommates and a Pill**

"Damn, Kiryu, who'd you sleep with to get this room?" Crow grumbled. The the window of Kiryu and Yuusei's room looked down on a vibrant courtyard full of flowers and birds and people milling about. Though Crow hadn't sought out his own room yet, but it was doubtful its view could beat this.

"Don't blame me," said Kiryu. "I bet Yuusei gets all sorts of special treatment here, thanks to Dr. Fudo."

"I hope not. I'd rather succeed on my own merit."

"Life's been tough enough. Take a break when you can catch one," advised Crow, finally tearing himself from the window. "Toss me the car keys, would you? I'll go get my stuff now."

"We'll come with you," Yuusei said, but Crow waved his hand dismissively.

"It's cool. You two unpack, we'll meet up again for dinner."

With Crow gone, Kiryu and Yuusei discussed how best to arrange the room. The beds were bunked, but they quickly fixed that and pushed them together to make one decent-sized bed. Pictures and mementos of home were scattered across their desks and clothes crammed in two wardrobes. Curtains the same shade of purple as Kiryu's trademark headband were the final touch.

Kiryu smiled at Yuusei. "Our new home."

"It's not bad," Yuusei replied, moving in a slow circle to take it all in. When he turned towards the bed, he felt Kiryu crash into him and send him sprawling face-first into the sheets. Kisses dotted the back of his neck, surprisingly gentle after the unexpected collision. "Kiryu! It's almost time to meet up with Crow."

"He can wait."

Yuusei relented easily under Kiryu's touches. He resituated himself on his back and ran his fingers through Kiryu's hair as he sucked on his neck. "You know, this can't happen every day. We're going to have homework and tests and maybe a social life. I think Crow is going to make us have that last thing, anyway."

As though summoned, Crow banged on the door. "I'm heading down to the cafeteria. Finish... whatever you're doing and come on!" Light footsteps receded down the hallway.

"He has the worst timing," complained Kiryu.

"Have you ever thought that maybe it's you?"

"Nope." Kiryu leaned up and gave Yuusei a lingering kiss on his lips. "Fine, let's go."

Their shifting upset a bag balanced at the foot of the bed. It fell, the contents clattering over the tile floor. "Ah, I think that was yours." Yuusei bent down to pick up the stuff. Kiryu joined him in stuffing everything back in. The last item was a translucent orange bottle Yuusei instantly recognized. Kiryu's meds. He started to hand them over when he noticed the fill date. It was some time ago, yet the bottle was almost full. He looked up asked as casually as he could, "Kiryu, have you been taking these?"

"Of course." Kiryu took the bottle and stowed it away. "Come on. Crow's waiting, right?"

* * *

The whole institution was bullshit, and Jack couldn't wait to complain to Kazama. How could it be legal to force two strangers who'd instantly disliked each other to share a space only ten by twelve feet?

His roommate caught him glaring again and snapped, "If you have a problem with me, tell res life and switch to another room. By all means."

Jack opened his mouth to snap back, but he had too many issues with the other to know where to start. Maybe that this guy, Dragan or whatever, had claimed the top bunk, which should rightfully be his. Maybe that wherever Jack tried to put his things, Dragan said he was taking up too much space. Maybe it was the fact that he kept answering calls in Norwegian and complaining about Jack to whoever was on the other end, judging by the sidelong glances thrown his way. Yeah, it was probably that, Jack decided. If he didn't like Jack, he should just spit out whatever his problem was and get it over with.

His thoughts drifted to Yuusei. _He_ would know how to ease the situation, figuring out what was wrong and a reasonable compromise in no time. Then he scolded himself; he didn't need Yuusei's help, especially if that help involved a compromise. After all, he'd done nothing wrong; it was up to Dragan to stop being a jerk.

The tension in the room heightened as the day dragged on. Around six, Dragan finally left, though it annoyed Jack that he offered no explanation. That meant he couldn't gauge how much time he had to himself, but as soon as the door swung closed, he dialed Kazama's number anyway and paced while it rang.

"Hey, Jack! How is-"

"Is there a law against making two people room together?"

"...Sounds like you aren't off to a great start."

"That's a no, isn't it?" Jack sighed.

"Is your roommate that bad?"

Was it Jack's imagination, or did he detect a note of relief in Kazama's voice? "Worse."

"What'd he do? Insult your hair?"

"I wouldn't know, he keeps using Norwegian," Jack muttered. "I have no idea why, he just hates me. And he keeps telling me where to put my stuff!"

"Well, you two do share a room. You'll have to get used to working around each other."

"I'd rather not."

"It's the first day. Maybe he's in a bad mood because he's homesick." That seemed possible. Norway was a lot farther away than Neo Domino. "Give him a chance, all right?"

After Jack said he'd think about it, he hung up and relaxed on his bed. It wasn't too uncomfortable, especially compared to the horror stories he'd heard about cheap college furniture, but it wasn't like his plush, king-sized bed back home. Still, it wasn't like he hadn't slept in far worse places in the past, up to and including his time at the orphanage. Compared to those days, this was paradise.

But at least back then, he'd had good company.

Jack decided to read for a bit while the room remained peaceful. He fetched a novel from his desk, an old favorite about kings and princesses and the underdog always winning. Halfway through chapter three, the lock on the door clicked and he grimaced, not wanting to see Dragan again so soon. Or ever.

To make matters worse, he'd brought company. Two others entered, a redhead cracking up over something and a guy with long, silvery hair. They hardly took notice of Jack as they kept conversing in their native tongue. Finally, the silver-haired one crossed the room and held out a hand to Jack. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Harald."

"And I'm Brave," the redhead offered.

Jack shook his hand after only a moment's hesitation. He stood up and nodded at Brave as well. If Dragan's friends could tolerate him, maybe Dragan would follow suit and stop being an ass. "I'm Jack Atlas."

"Atlas," murmured Harald thoughtfully. "The Greek Titan who held the world on his shoulders as punishment for warring against the gods. It's an interesting name."

Like Jack didn't know the story behind his own last name, the one thing he'd inherited from his parents. "He did something no one else, god or mortal, could hope to do on his own."

"Hey, hey, if we get started on mythology, Harald will go on all day!" Brave said. "We came to see if you were up for dinner with us. Since you're Dragan's roommate, we'll probably be seeing a lot of you. We might as well be friends, right?"

"I suppose I'll come." The invitation surprised him, but it seemed to surprise Dragan more.

"I don't want him to come!"

"C'mon, you know that wasn't Jack's fault, what happened," Brave said.

"What? What wasn't?" Jack demanded, trying to catch Dragan's eye, but he wouldn't look at him as he answered Brave instead.

"I'm sure it was. Can't you already tell how arrogant he is?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Don't think you can just insult me! I've done nothing to you."

"My father is dead because of you," Dragan said coldly.

"I still don't know what you're talking about."

Harald and Brave exchanged a glance, perhaps contemplating if they should interfere. Jack wouldn't allow that, though; he had to know what Dragan was ranting about.

"Remember that time you were hospitalized in Neo Domino?"

"How do you know about that?" Jack recalled those tumultuous days surrounding a car wreck he'd been involved in. He'd been in the passenger's seat, where the other car had crashed into, and had undergone surgery to fix a ruptured spleen, just one of the many injuries he'd sustained.

"My father was a patient there at the same time. But the doctors couldn't be bothered to deal with him when a local celebrity like you was in trouble. If you hadn't taken all their attention, he might still be alive! I couldn't believe my eyes when you walked in here and said you were my roommate."

That explained Dragan's anger, but Jack hardly felt he deserved these accusations. He'd been unconscious for most of his time in the hospital, and Dragan was acting like he'd woken up in surgery and demanded all the doctors attend to him and him alone. Ridiculous. "Jack Atlas won't apologize when he's done nothing wrong!"

"You-" Dragan stepped forward threateningly, but Brave placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him with an utterance in Norwegian. Jack was getting sick of them talking secretively right in front of him, so he stormed out of the room. He was outside the dorm by the time he remembered he hadn't even grabbed his phone or keys, but he wasn't about to go back. He kept walking, looking for a way to blow off steam.

He found himself on the edge of a small pond on the outskirts of campus. A few geese were his only company there, and their squawking was easy enough to ignore; after all, he'd had plenty of practice drowning out unwanted noises, having roomed at the orphanage with Crow, a shameless snorer. He frowned, realizing his thoughts had again turned to his old friends. Crow... Yuusei... _Kiryu_...

A chill ran through him. Was this how it felt to be blamed for something beyond one's control? Jack hadn't meant for anyone at the hospital to be neglected for his sake. And everyone said Kiryu hadn't been able to control his actions that time. More than once, Yuusei had tried to explain to him about brain chemistry and past mental trauma, but all Jack could think of at the time was a puddle of blood and how Kiryu wouldn't stop repeating, _"I did it for you three."_

It didn't feel like the same situation to him, since Kiryu had willingly lashed out and caused harm. But doubt gripped his heart as he wondered if Yuusei had been right all along.

* * *

After eating, Crow, Kiryu, and Yuusei ended up hanging out in Crow's room to watch TV. Crow's randomly-assigned roommate was an easygoing guy named Taro. After introducing himself, he returned to instant messaging his friends on his laptop, leaving the other three to crowd together on the futon he'd brought and pick a show to watch. After a bit of arguing between Crow and Kiryu, Yuusei flipped a coin for them. Crow won the toss, celebrating by sticking his tongue out at Kiryu and claiming the remote. He settled on the sequel to a comedy he'd watched with the little kids back at the orphanage. Without having seen the first one, Yuusei and Kiryu had little idea what was going on, so they turned to each other and struck up a quiet conversation.

"Think you'll join any clubs, Yuusei?"

"I haven't really thought about it. My classes will probably keep me busy. You?"

"A lot of them sound fun. Maybe I'll try archery. Or..." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Maybe judo is my calling."

Yuusei scowled at him. "Don't you dare follow in Jack's footsteps."

"Never. Jack can't do this." Kiryu pecked Yuusei on the lips before he could stop him.

Yuusei looked over his shoulder at Taro, then back at Kiryu. "Kiryu, don't. We don't want to make Taro uncomfortable."

"Thanks for taking my feelings into consideration," Crow muttered, scooting further away. "And stop talking about Jack, you're killing the mood."

"What?" Kiryu cried in mock shock. "You have the nerve to speak that way about _the King of Judo?_"

Thre three exchanged a long look before bursting into laughter. Jack's self-proclaimed title after winning the national championship was so typical of him that they just couldn't help it. They only stopped when they noticed Taro had left his computer and was awkwardly waiting for a chance to chime in. "Sorry, we didn't mean to bother you," Crow said.

"No, no, it's just- are you guys talking about Jack Atlas?"

"Unfortunately," Crow replied. "You a fan?"

"I am, actually. Do you guys know him? They way you were talking..."

"Yeah, he-" Crow broke off. "He was our friend growing up." Jack was so touchy about growing up poor and orphaned; Crow'd caught himself just in time before letting his background slip. "That was before he became known for doing judo."

Taro said, "The coverage of his matches always talked about how he was never even on a judo team until high school. It's amazing that he could become the national champion after just a year!"

Kiryu, Crow, and Yuusei hadn't been too surprised. Jack was the best fighter among them, and with the dedication he placed on anything he considered important, of course he'd had little trouble scaling to the top when his new school had recruited him.

"But I heard he isn't on a team in college. If I could ask why..."

"We don't know either," said Yuusei.

"I see. Well, thanks anyway! It's cool to know someone who knows Jack."

"Pfft, he's not that big a deal," said Crow. "No matter what he thinks."

Yuusei looked away, a brooding expression settling over his face. Kiryu stood and grabbed Yuusei's hand, pulling him up too. "We'll leave you two to discuss the pros and cons of the King. See you tomorrow, Crow!"

Back in their room, Kiryu directed Yuusei to take his shirt off and lay down. "I know you get stressed when everyone starts talking about Jack. Let me help."

The corner of Yuusei's mouth turned up. "Sounds good." He stretched out on the bed and rested his cheek on his folded arms. Kiryu sat on his lower back and started kneading the back of Yuusei's neck and shoulders. Those fingers were magic, isolating and banishing every bit of stress lurking within Yuusei's muscles.

"Better?" Kiryu asked.

"Mmm..." Yuusei couldn't even form a coherent response, which made Kiryu laugh.

"You're not going to fall asleep on me, are you?"

Blue eyes opened briefly before falling shut again. It looked like the answer was yes. Normally Kiryu wouldn't allow it, but he thought Yuusei looked especially adorable tonight, so he could forgive him. And if he fell asleep this early, Kiryu knew he would be perfectly justified in waking him in the middle of the night if the need arose.

When Yuusei was completely out of it, Kiryu slid off the bed and covered him with a sheet. Then he grabbed his bag and went into their bathroom. He locked the door and hopped onto the edge of the sink, a structure probably not meant to support an adult's weight but which didn't react to Kiryu's slight form at all. From the bag he withdrew the orange bottle that bore his name. The bag fell forgotten to the floor as he lifted the bottle up to the light, observing it with his head leaned against the cool glass of the mirror.

The bottle represented all he had been told to trust. The doctors who made careful notes on their clipboards. The pharmacists who gave him a pitying look when he refilled the prescription. The judge who said if he got treatment, he wouldn't go to jail.

What they wanted was to change him, control part of his mind. Of course Kiryu didn't trust them. He sneered as he popped the lid off and poured two tablets into his palm. Yuusei had seen the bottle, and now he was suspicious. It didn't matter. If Kiryu played it smart, Yuusei wouldn't figure it out; no one had to know.

He dropped the pills into the toilet and pressed the handle with his foot. When they were gone, he felt much better, and he hurried out of the bathroom to snuggle up next to Yuusei.

* * *

**I don't know how many times I said in Jack Atlas's Australian dub voice, "Kiryu, ya lit'l liah!" while writing this...**

**Judo means "gentle way." That doesn't sound very Jack-like, but its style of fighting actually does seem like something he'd excel at.**

**Unimportant author information with no bearing on this story: I ship Brave and Harald hard. I don't think that pairing even has a name... Brave is typically paired with Crow, isn't he? And that's definitely understandable. But I'll stick by BravexHarald till the end.**

_next chapter: Wrist Cuffs and a Drunk_


	3. Wrist Cuffs and a Drunk

**Chapter Three: Wrist Cuffs and a Drunk**

Once Jack had turned down two more invitations from Brave to hang out, he and Harald gave up on mending things between the clashing roommates. Jack occasionally saw them walking around with Dragan, as the three were inseparable, but he never spoke to them. The room was a sphere of quiet fury when both occupied it, but usually one left if the other refused to. That was the case the Friday after classes had started. After lunch, Jack headed back to his room to relax for a bit before taking the bullet train home for the weekend, but found Dragan there studying. Without a word, Jack turned on his heel and left with just his backpack.

He ended up at the pond. To his disdain, other people were already there staining its sanctity. Jack recognized Brave as he bent over to pet the dog a couple of kids were walking. The spotted mutt licked Brave's hand and barked in approval, making the kids laugh. Brave smiled at them and said something Jack was too far away to catch. They laughed even harder. When the dog tugged at his leash, the kids waved at Brave and trotted off as he watched them go. His smile disappeared when he turned and saw Jack. "What is it? What are you smirking at?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of someone." Jack walked over and dropped his backpack on the bench. He stared down at their reflections in the water and imagined another person being there instead of Brave, someone shorter with lighter hair but the same affinity for children.

"'Someone?'"

Jack didn't reply, partly because he didn't know how. How did he describe Crow? He couldn't just call him a friend, when he'd only spoken to him for about five minutes in the last two years. Acquaintance was even more inappropriate a label, considering their history at the orphanage.

Realizing he wasn't going to get an answer, Brave spoke again. "Why did you come to college here, Jack? I'm not asking that for Dragan's sake, I'm asking it because..." He shrugged. "You don't seem happy here. This is the first time I've seen you come close to smiling, and you were thinking of someone who isn't around, right?"

"That's none of your business."

"Whatever. But it's better to be around people you like, right?"

"I don't need anyone," Jack said automatically.

"Suit yourself." He grabbed his own bag and strolled off.

It was obvious that Brave didn't understand. No one understood him and why he couldn't go back to Crow and the rest of what was once Team Satisfaction. Being alone at college made the gap between them feel wider than ever. After all, he didn't even have Kazama to spend time with here, and phone calls just weren't the same. Worse still, he'd dreamed about his days at the orphanage every night since his revelation about Kiryu's mental state. The three people he knew best in the world starred in them: broken Kiryu trying to hush Jack with his bloody hands, forlorn Crow caught in the splintering group, and always bitter Yuusei with his piercing blue eyes. After everything that had happened, how could Kiryu call for them to reunite? How could the other three still be so close?

How could it be that Jack was called "King" by strangers but "traitor" and "deserter" by his friends?

* * *

Kiryu lay on a patch of grass directly in the sunlight. His homework was mostly completed, so a break wouldn't hurt anything. He'd been hunched over a textbook for too long, so he stretched his arms above his head to work out the stiffness in his shoulders. Then he went limp, basking in the warmth.

At first, he didn't register the laughter. When it got closer, and he heard someone mutter "freak," he opened his eyes and looked slowly around. That was when a foot nudged his wrist. He shot up, glaring at the guy who'd touched him. A couple of others stood behind him, smug expressions on their faces. "What's your problem?" Kiryu asked, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing...freak."

Kiryu'd been teased all the time growing up in Satellite, because of his strange hair and eyes, or because he was so much smaller than the other boys his age. He never let it go without a fight; this time would be no different. He clenched one fist and stared down the ringleader, deciding to give him a chance to leave. "Move it."

"Or what? You'll go cut yourself? Emo freak."

He paled as all three of them laughed. A glance down confirmed it: he hadn't worn his wrist cuffs today. It was strange; he could have sworn he'd snapped them into place after donning his vest. But his wrists were bare, and the deep, pink scars were striking against his pale skin.

_Kiryu, please, please, promise you won't try that again._

…

_Kiryu, if you died, I'd-_

_Shut up, Yuusei._

Kiryu pulled his fist back and aimed for the center of the other guy's face. It caught him by surprise, as he was still laughing with his friends, and blood immediately gushed out. He swiped his face with his sleeve and growled, "You're fucking asking for it!"

"So what are you waiting for?" he taunted.

All three came at him at once. The thrill of an uneven fight swept through Kiryu as he dodged and struck out. He'd learned how to make up for his size with speed and to fight dirty when necessary a long time ago. These three were run-of-the-mill bullies, but they were fairly large. Kiryu'd just knocked one to the ground when the other two grabbed his arms and held him in place despite his struggling. The one on the ground stood back up and took advantage of his immobility with a powerful punch to his stomach. Kiryu gasped and doubled over, trying fruitlessly to protect his abdomen. One of them pulled him back by his hair and Kiryu prepared himself for a punch to his jaw when the guy on his right yelped and collapsed. Surprised, the other bullies paused, and a blur of orange and black jumped on the other guy holding Kiryu in place. He went down as well and Kiryu was free.

"Thanks, Crow," he said, rubbing his aching stomach. Crow glanced at him in concern before turning to the last of the three.

"You should get out of here," he threatened. The bully didn't seem pleased with someone so short and scrawny ordering him around, and as the others were recovering, Crow changed tactics and took Kiryu by the arm. "Come on," he urged.

"No, with the two of us, we can-"

"Just come _on_ before campus security gets here!"

Crow pulled him into the nearest building and after making sure they weren't being followed, weaved through the hallways until he came across a bathroom. Inside, he bunched paper towels up, dampened them, and held them out to Kiryu. Kiryu started cleaning the cuts and scraped skin of his stomach and face.

Crow drummed his fingers against the sink and sighed. "Should I even ask how they provoked you?" Amber eyes glared at him. "Didn't think so. Want me to call Yuusei?"

"Crow, I'm barely bleeding. There's no reason to worry him."

"Yeah, but he'll figure out you were in a fight soon enough, even if you don't get in trouble."

"It wasn't my fault!"

"I don't really care whose fault it was. You can't just get into fights on campus. We're adults now, if you get arrested-"

"You mean again?" Kiryu said darkly.

Crow shifted awkwardly. "Just don't be stupid, Kiryu."

They left the bathroom and checked through a window in the front of the building to see if the troublemakers had left. They had, so they retrieved Kiryu's things and made their way back to their dorm. Kiryu waved Crow off when he asked if he wanted him to hang out.

Since his head ached from a punch that had caught him in the temple, he stretched out on the bed and tried to rest. He was almost asleep when the door flew open and in rushed Yuusei, looking worried. Kiryu rolled his eyes. "What did Crow tell you?"

"That you were fighting. Are you okay?" The concern in his voice was as irritating as it was apparent. How many fights had Kiryu been in? Of course he was okay. Yuusei sat beside him on the bed and pretended Kiryu hadn't ignored his question. "What happened, Kiryu? What did they do or say to you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Kiryu..."

He finally met Yuusei's worried gaze. "I said I'm fine. Want me to prove it?" In a flash, he'd pinned Yuusei beneath him. He wasted no time slipping his tongue into Yuusei's mouth in a bruising kiss. Yuusei kissed back, but only for a moment. Then he pushed Kiryu back by the shoulders.

"Just tell me what they did."

Kiryu rubbed his hips against Yuusei's, earning a moan. He managed to regain control after a moment and flipped them over so that Kiryu was pinned. A hint of deviousness flashed across Yuusei's face as he grinded roughly against Kiryu. "Come on, Kiryu... Just tell me." He leaned down and started sucking on his neck. When a hickey started to form, he trailed kisses up Kiryu's jaw and made it back to his mouth, which he gave a light peck. "Please?"

Two could play this game. Kiryu freed his hands and cupped Yuusei's face. "If you really want to know... Fuck me first."

Yuusei cocked his head, considering the offer. He made his answer known when he reached down and unhooked Kiryu's belt. Kiryu grinned triumphantly, pulling his shirt off as Yuusei jerked his boxers down. Yuusei gave his hardening length a lick from base to tip. Kiryu twisted the sheets in his hands and shivered in pleasure. "More," he demanded.

The rest of their clothes hit the floor. Yuusei looked thoughtfully at Kiryu before untying his headband and repositioning it over his mouth. "I don't want the RA to pay us a visit," he explained. Kiryu personally felt one never had to have a reason for gags or blindfolds. If his mouth wasn't already covered, he might've asked for the latter as well.

The stereo drowned out any muffled moans escaping past the headband as Yuusei pleasured the body he knew so well. Kiryu let him do all the work, simply laying back and enjoying each new electrical sensation. He'd taught Yuusei well.

When they were both spent, Yuusei cleaned them off and stretched out beside Kiryu. He played with a strand of his hair as he asked expectantly, "So? What happened?"

Kiryu entertained the possibility of just lying to Yuusei, but he decided the truth would shut him up more quickly. "Someone thought it was a good idea to make fun of my scars. Though, I don't know how he saw them," Kiryu frowned. "I was wearing my..." He broke off, remembering that no, he hadn't put his wrist cuffs on this morning. Hadn't he already figured that out?

"Kiryu? Does your head hurt?"

Kiryu realized he was pressing a palm against his forehead. He felt a little dizzy; maybe he was getting sick. That would explain his misremembering, he decided. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry there's someone that cruel on this campus..."

"Really, Yuusei, I'm okay." He offered Yuusei his brightest smile. After a few moments, Yuusei returned the smile, albeit more softly. He reached over and took Kiryu's hand, drawing his wrist to his lips and kissing gently the spot Kiryu had once used in an attempt to end his life.

"I love you, Kiryu."

* * *

Yuusei read a textbook at his desk, glancing over every so often to make sure Kiryu was still sleeping peacefully. He'd fallen asleep right after their conversation, curled up in their blanket and clutching a pillow to his stomach. Every time Yuusei's eyes fell on his scars, he felt fury overcome him. That someone had the nerve to taunt Kiryu about that was unspeakable. He didn't blame Kiryu at all for getting into a fight, though he hoped he wouldn't be punished for it.

A shrill ringing interrupted his thinking. He reached for his phone to silence it before it disturbed Kiryu, but discovered it wasn't his phone ringing. It looked like Crow's had gotten mixed into Kiryu's things when he came by earlier. Yuusei pressed a button and whispered, "Hello?" without checking the caller id.

"...Yuusei?"

That voice. Yuusei felt like a giant hand was squeezing his lungs, keeping him from breathing. He shouldn't have answered Crow's phone.

He ducked into the bathroom before answering. "Jack?"

"Why do you have Crow's phone?"

"He left it here. Why are you calling Crow's phone?" he challenged.

"Because... Dammit, do I need a reason?"

"Yes, since you haven't willingly spoken to any of us in two years."

"Then I guess there's no reason to start now, right?" Jack snapped. "Forget I called."

Before he could hang up, Yuusei blurted out, "Wait. Just... wait a second, Jack."

"Why? You don't want to talk to me."

"I think you have that backwards. Do you know how many times Crow and I tried to get in contact with you after you left?"

"I have no intention of discussing the past with you."

"Yet it keeps popping up today," Yuusei muttered.

"What do you mean?"

Yuusei leaned against the bathroom door and sighed. "Kiryu got in a fight today."

"Hmmph, that's not surprising. But what does that have to do with-"

"You know, he tried to kill himself twice after he was arrested."

"...I know."

"Someone noticed his scars and decided to make a big deal out of them."

"What?" Jack sounded furious. "I'll teach them a lesson," he growled.

"Nice to know you still care."

"Yuusei, you're not being fair. You never are with me."

"I guess it was hard to remember to be _fair _when my boyfriend was locked up because of my best friend's testimony."

"You know what the alternative was!"

"Exactly, and I was prepared for that."

"I wasn't."

"Jack?"

"Forget it, Yuusei. I really shouldn't have called." This time, Yuusei didn't protest, and soon a steady beeping told him he was alone on the line.

* * *

Kazama frowned at his phone before replaying his voicemail. The message was short and blunt, consisting of Jack telling him not to come over that evening after all. Jack had planned on coming back every few weekends to stay at his apartment, and Kazama was supposed to hang out with him this Friday evening. He'd been looking forward to it.

It wasn't so strange for Jack to randomly act antisocial, but there was still something off. Kazama realized it wasn't in his words, but how he said them, with a hint of a slur. Almost like he was drunk. Now that would be strange; Jack didn't care for alcohol, since it kept him from thinking clearly and being at the top of his game. Of course, Kazama felt obligated to discourage him from drinking anyway, since he was underage, but it was really never an issue with Jack. That was why Kazama disregarded his order and showed up at his apartment, worried about what was bad enough to make Jack drink.

He knocked on the door until Jack flung it open with a glare. He clutched his head with one hand and a bottle with the other. "The fuck, Kaz'ma?" he said. "I told you not to come."

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He looked over him and sighed. "And I think I have my answer. What happened?"

"S'nothing. Go away." Another gulp from the bottle and he was struggling back to his bedroom. Kazama shut the front door and followed him. In the bedroom, Jack collapsed onto a chair and stared morosely at nothing in particular. Eventually he tossed his bottle aside and conjured another one from a table. He wasted no time in downing it, oblivious to Kazama's disapproving looks from the doorway.

"How much have you drank, Jack?" he asked. Jack didn't answer, but a short investigation revealed half a dozen empty bottles strewn across the room. Even if Jack was tall and muscular, Kazama doubted his body and mind was handling so much alcohol well, especially if these weren't the only bottles he'd emptied that night. He stood in front of Jack's chair and held out a hand sternly. "Give me the beer."

The look Jack gave him was venomous. "I didn't invite you. So shut up." Defiantly, he downed the rest of the bottle, but when he reached for a new one Kazama blocked him.

"Jack, you've had more than enough."

"Don't tell me what's enough!" Jack shouted, probably louder than he'd intended to.

"Fine then, I'll just handcuff you to the chair, away from your supply," Kazama retorted. "Either way, you're not drinking any more tonight."

Jack seemed to be weighing the sincerity of his threats. "You don't understand," he finally said.

"If you talk to me, I'll try."

No amount of cajoling could get Jack to say anything else, though. It was all Kazama could do to keep Jack from locating and opening another drink. When Jack figured out his inhibited reflexes were no match for Kazama, he sulked in his chair, hand on his chin and eyes gazing out the window. Eventually, he grew tired of that- of everything, it seemed, as his eyelids drooped. "You don't understand," he murmured again, eyes closing.

Kazama wrapped an arm around his shoulders and helped him over to his bed. When he was more or less covered up, Kazama fetched a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin from the bathroom to put on the bedside table for the horrible morning that was surely awaiting Jack. Soon enough, Jack stopped kicking the cover off and patting around for a bottle of alcohol Kazama might have missed. Kazama thought he was finally asleep and was about to leave when he said something in a deep, slurred voice.

"He's always been it... the only one for me..."

"What?"

"Yuusei. He's the only one I ever..."

Something unpleasantly cold scraped against Kazama's insides. He took a deep breath and walked back to Jack's bedside. He slowly reached a hand out and brushed his fingers through that golden hair once. Before he left, he whispered one thing to Jack. "I hope that's not always true."

* * *

**I said I wasn't going to have one-sided kingcrabshipping... and then immediately I added some one-sided kingcrabshipping. Oh well.**

_next chapter: Headaches and a Transfer_


	4. Headaches and a Transfer

**Chapter Four: Headaches and a Transfer**

Jack let the frigid water spray over his lean body, hoping the refreshing cold would clear his mind. He felt like his brain had been rattled by an earthquake. The last time he'd been this hungover was during Kiryu's trial. Now he remembered why he'd sworn off alcohol since then.

He vaguely recalled Kazama stopping by last night, but whether Kazama had gotten mad at him for drinking or left when he saw what a mess Jack was, Jack couldn't say. They had talked about something important... Or had they? Jack groaned and leaned his forehead against the wall of the shower. To his dismay, even this slight contact sent pulses of pain through his head. Stumbling out of the bathroom a few minutes later, he fell on his bed face-first and sighed. It would be a waste to lay around all day, but he wasn't in a condition to do much of anything else. Taking some aspirin would probably help, but Jack thought that would be weak. He'd have to tough out the headaches he'd brought on by his foolish drinking.

Some of the blame surely lay with Yuusei. They'd fought, unsurprisingly, and it pissed Jack off that after two years he still wasn't willing to hear his side of the story. It wasn't like he'd wanted Kiryu to get locked up. Kiryu was one of his best friends. But he couldn't let Yuusei lie for him and take the fall. At least Kiryu's defense had gotten a couple of psychiatrists to testify that Kiryu hadn't known what he was doing. Yuusei would have went to jail instead of being allowed the chance to recover in a mental hospital.

"_You know, he tried to kill himself twice after he was arrested."_

Jack had known. Crow had still been talking to him then and let it slip that Kiryu completely lost it when he was separated from Yuusei, even for short amounts of time. At first, Jack couldn't believe Kiryu, someone so ambitious and brave, would try to kill himself. He realized he probably didn't know the extent of his trauma now, either. Yuusei probably knew. Yuusei and Kiryu were impossibly close, despite the fact that Jack had known Yuusei longer, and had loved him first.

He hated that he'd never been able to stop loving him.

Seeing him again would be difficult. But as Jack spent the afternoon recuperating, he knew what decision he had to make. Because he missed Crow's antics; because he wanted to protect Kiryu; because Yuusei had to forgive him one day. Simply put, Jack was at the wrong college.

* * *

"Is it true?" Crow's roommate Taro asked excitedly when they ran into each other near the cafeteria.

"Is what true?" Crow was paying more attention to a group of girls walking past, but Taro's next words snapped him out of it.

"I heard Jack Atlas was on campus!"

"_What? _Who did you hear that from?_"_

Taro looked a bit alarmed at Crow's sudden shouting, but explained anyway. "Well, I heard some girls in my class this morning talking about it. They were fans of him when he did judo, and apparently they saw him here today."

Crow sighed and rubbed his temples. If it were true that Jack was here, then that meant an inevitable shouting match with Yuusei, which would just infuriate Kiryu. Though Kiryu had convinced him to go to Jack and seemed okay with him, Crow was worried he'd snap and hurt him with enough motivation. After all, Jack was one reason he'd been sent away. "Thanks for telling me," he said to Taro before darting off. He'd have to skip his Monday afternoon classes, but there was no helping it.

On a hunch, he headed back to his dorm, his suspicions rising along with the elevator. When it arrived at his floor, he found his door unlocked. Laying across his bed, boots and all, was Jack Atlas.

Crow scowled and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, Jack."

"Hm?" Jack looked away from Crow's wall of posters and saw him standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey, Crow."

"Is that really all you have to say?"

"I'm transferring."

"...Of course you are. But that doesn't explain why you're on my bed."

"Calm down." Jack hopped up and crossed the room. "If that one's yours, I'll just take the other."

"You will not! I already have a roommate, you can't just kick him out. And who says I _want _to live with you?"

"What the hell? _You _came to me begging me to come to college with you guys, and now you're acting like this!?"

They were now a foot apart from each other, fists clenched and eyes glaring. After taking in their instinctual positions, Crow blinked and burst into laughter. Jack straightened up, looking confused. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just that this is just like old times, isn't it?" He continued to chuckle. "My roommate's a nice guy, not to mention a fan of yours from your judo days. I'm sure he won't mind switching, though I feel kind of bad to ask him to. So tell me, why are you transferring exactly?"

"...I heard Kiryu got in a fight. I should at least be here to keep him from getting into any more trouble." From the way Jack's eyes avoided him and he shifted his stance, Crow knew there was more to his reasoning. He decided not to press him for now.

"So, have you filled out an application for here and everything already?"

"Oh, that." A look of mild annoyance crossed Jack's face. "Kazama's checking into that stuff for me."

Crow sighed. "I know you suck at paperwork, but you're going to have to fill out some forms if you want to come here. ...Who's Kazama?"

"A friend."

"Right. A friend, or... a _friend?_"

"Crow!" Jack resumed his fighting stance. "Don't be stupid. Kazama is just a friend."

"Ah, that's a shame." Crow made a show of stretching his arms and turning away casually. "I was hoping you'd moved on." He braced himself for the inevitable punch Jack would throw, but it didn't come. Finally he turned back around, quizzical. Jack was staring blankly past him at the wall.

He asked, "You knew?"

"Pretty sure everyone but Yuusei figured it out. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell him."

"It's not like that anymore," Jack protested.

"...Anyway. He's still pretty pissed at you. But if you wanna get back on his good side, don't blow up at him when he's cold to you at first. Prove you're on Kiryu's side now and you'll be good to go."

"I was on Kiryu's side then! He got help because of me!"

"I know, I know, I'm not blaming you. Just... be prepared for Yuusei to."

* * *

Jack didn't seem to understand that transferring colleges took time and human contact, but Kazama was glad to take care of some of the more troubling aspects for him. A perfect GPA and impressive cocurriculars made Jack a good candidate for transfer, and Kazama made up some story about how Jack had realized he couldn't stay away from his ailing grandmother who lived nearby, thus explaining why he was switching when the semester had barely started. Kazama felt bad lying to the kind admissions officer, but he figured a lie was better than Jack blowing up at her when things didn't immediately go his way.

In fact, things went much smoother than expected. Jack's status as high school star in judo made the college eager to accept him and perhaps convince him to join their own club. The admissions officer explained that they would have to receive some records from Jack's high school and original college, such as his entrance exam scores, and then he could begin attending classes. "It should only take a couple of days," she promised him. "We'll do our best to rush the process."

A relieved Kazama made his way to the dorm Jack had found out his three friends lived in. Soon, Jack would be joining them. Kazama had been thrilled when Jack called him the previous evening and, instead of yelling at him for coming to his apartment uninvited, asked him to help move his things to Tokushima. Most of it was still at his first college, but since this was on the way, Kazama said it would be good if they stopped here first and got his admission lined out. He'd had to take off work for this, but it was worth it if it meant keeping Jack nearby.

He texted Jack and found out what room he was in. The person who opened the door for him was someone Kazama recognized quite well. It was Crow, the redhead who'd sat by Yuusei and comforted him throughout Kiryu's trials. Crow wouldn't know Kazama, of course, so Kazama smiled and introduced himself as though they were complete strangers.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Kazama, Jack's friend."

"I'm Crow, nice to meet you too," Crow answered. "I'm sorry you've had to put up with Jack for so long."

"He can be quite a handful," Kazama agreed cheerfully, much to Jack's indignation. "It looks like you'll be good to attend here in a couple of days, Jack. We can drive on and pick up your things from your old dorm now, if you like."

"This is going too much out of your way, isn't it?" Jack asked grudgingly. "I can drive there myself and get everything. Heh, Dragan will probably have my stuff waiting wrapped up with a bow outside the dorm."

Kazama smiled at that mental image but insisted, "Of course it's not too much trouble. I'm happy to help you out."

"Can you guys decide on that in a minute?" Crow interrupted. "I just a text from Yuusei, he and Kiryu are coming to hang out." He turned to Kazama and said seriously, "You'll probably want to leave before the explosion happens."

Kazama had no intention of leaving Jack alone, though. Especially since Yuusei's name had been brought up. Jack had all but confessed in his drunken stupor that he was in love with him. Kazama had never expected that; Yuusei was one hundred percent devoted to Kiryu and completely open about their relationship at the trial. This did explain why Jack took Yuusei's reluctance to forgive him so hard.

Crow shrugged when Kazama sat down on the bed next to Jack. "Suit yourself." Moments later, Kiryu and Yuusei entered the room hand in hand. Kazama watched Jack slightly stiffen out of the corner of his eye.

Both of their gazes were instantly drawn to Jack. Kazama watched as Yuusei's expression darkened and he held back. Kiryu, on the other hand, released Yuusei's hand and threw himself on Jack for a hug. Not caring at all the Jack was sitting there awkwardly, not returning the hug, Kiryu exclaimed, "I knew you'd come back to us!"

Kazama tried to observe Kiryu as discreetly as possible. The last time he'd seen the boy, he'd been half-crazed and prone to violent outbursts, but now he was grinning and clinging to Jack like his long-lost friend had returned from the dead. It was a relief to know that the treatment he'd been through had worked; Kazama had feared Kiryu would hold a grudge against Jack, but that wasn't the case at all. Once Kazama was sure Kiryu wasn't a threat, he turned his attention over to Yuusei. He was leaning against the door, looking sullen.

Jack finally pushed Kiryu off him, but it was enough to make Kazama jealous at how he didn't really seem to mind the other invading his personal space. Jack's eyes flickered over at Yuusei for a moment before returning to Kiryu. "I _am _coming back, but it's a couple of days before I'll be able to attend here. I was actually about to leave to get my things to move in."

"What?" Kiryu's eyes flashed. "No, you just got here, you can't leave."

Crow said, "He'll be back before you can miss him, Kiryu."

"No," Kiryu repeated. His entire demeanor had grown colder. He planted his feet in front of Jack, as though he could physically stop Jack from leaving.

Jack sighed and reached a hand out to him. "I promise it won't be long." Kiryu flinched away from his touch, and Yuusei came over to take his hand. He didn't so much as look at Jack, just turning his concerned eyes on Kiryu. He murmured something in a soothing voice in Kiryu's ear, but Kiryu shook his head violently instead of being calmed down.

His amber eyes turned to Kazama, who felt their full fury like two daggers to his chest. "Did you come here with Jack? Then _you_ can go get his things for him."

"Kiryu, _enough_!" said Jack. "It's too much for Kazama to-"

"I'll go." Yuusei unlaced his fingers from Kiryu and nodded at Kazama. "I'll help him out, so Jack can stay here. How's that, Kiryu?"

"Yuusei..." Jack looked up at his old friend for several moments before saying, "Fine by me." He was rewarded with another hug from Kiryu, whose good mood returned as soon as he uttered his agreement.

They all walked out to Kazama's car. Jack had driven his too, but only one would be necessary to pack all Jack's things in, so Yuusei hopped into the passenger's seat and buckled up. Before Kazama could get into the driver's side, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He thought it was Jack's, but when he turned around, it was Kiryu behind him. "You better drive carefully," Kiryu said, smiling slightly. "You have someone very valuable with you."

"Of course," Kazama replied. "We'll be back early tomorrow."

* * *

"What the hell was that all about, Kiryu?" Crow hissed at him as they trailed behind Jack back to the dorm. "Are you _sure _you're okay?"

"You mean, am I sure I'm not crazy?" Kiryu glared at Crow until he looked away, sighing.

"That's not at all what I meant," he grumbled. "But you are acting weird. Why would send Yuusei off in Jack's place, anyway?"

"Because Yuusei always comes back."

Crow didn't say anything else. He got off the elevator at his own floor, leaving Kiryu alone with Jack. "Make yourself at home, okay?" Kiryu told him when they reached his and Yuusei's room.

Jack stared down at the beds they'd pushed together.

"Oh, right, if you're spending the night looks like you're gonna have to sleep with me," Kiryu laughed.

"Are you and Yuusei ever apart?"

"Now we can _all _be together," Kiryu said. "Team Satisfaction is back! Oh, you should tell me about your friend. Kazama, was it? He's not bad looking."

"First Crow tries to pair us up, and now you?" Jack scowled. "I'm not interested in Kazama like that. I'm probably not even going to see much of him while I'm at college. He's always busy with his job."

"What does he do?"

"He-" Of course, Jack knew to hide Kazama's actual occupation from Kiryu, but he wasn't sure how to go about that. He wasn't a particularly good liar, and Kiryu had a way of forcing himself to the truth of the matter when someone tried to keep a secret from him. At any rate, Jack had to delay Kiryu finding out the truth. Kazama was with Yuusei, so Kiryu needed to be able to trust him. "Kazama works for a business."

Fortunately, Kiryu didn't ask him to be more specific, mainly because he didn't seem all that interested. "How old is he?"

"Twenty-three."

"An older guy. Nice."

"Kiryu._"_

"Hey, it's a good thing, he's probably got a lot of experience. That's better for you. I mean, there was so much I had to teach Yuusei-"

"_Kiryu, shut up!"_

Kiryu stared at him, wide-eyed, as though just now realizing he was becoming angry. "Jack... Do you hate me?"

"Wha- just because I yelled at you doesn't mean I hate you."

"No... You did more than that. You got me sent away. Did you do that because you couldn't stand me any longer?"

"Kiryu..." Kiryu's personality had changed again. No longer sure of himself, but looking betrayed and even heartbroken. This wasn't like him at all. Jack thought Kiryu's medicine was supposed to make him better, keep him stable, but he'd been acting paranoid all day. Though, maybe that was because of the fight he'd been in recently dredging up old memories.

He sighed. "I could never hate you. You're an important friend of mine. All I did was tell the truth. If there had been any other way to protect you, I would've, but I know you didn't want Yuusei to get in trouble either."

Kiryu nodded slowly. Then he smiled at Jack and pecked him on the cheek. Jack scowled; he may have missed Kiryu, but he didn't miss how overly affectionate he could be. "Save your lips for Yuusei," he muttered.

* * *

_**next chapter: Blood Splatters and a Verdict**_


	5. Blood Splatters and a Trial

**Chapter Five: Blood Splatters and a Verdict**

Yuusei sat on the back porch of Martha's orphanage and his home, watching the stragglers go by as dusk became night. It was one of the hottest summers he could remember, so despite his loose clothes and the late hour, he was sweating and wishing he could have repaired the refrigerator better. He could get the temperature into the chilly range, but for some reason it refused to stay there. That meant none of Martha's ice-cold lemonade, the perfect remedy for nights like this. Jack and Crow were inside, Crow fanning the kids and Jack himself, most likely. Yuusei felt like taking advantage of this rare opportunity for solitude in a crowded orphanage and lingered on the porch.

When it was nearly too dark to make out the passersby's faces, he noticed something that caused him to sit up straight and squint his eyes for a better look. Someone was hobbling down an alley directly across from Martha's, stopping every few feet to catch his breath. He was obviously in pain, but Yuusei was hesitant to rush to his aid. For all he knew, it was a trap for people like him who wanted to help out and it would end with a knife to his neck and a demand for whatever he owned of value. Trying to remain casual, Yuusei leaned forward and waited for the person to get closer. When he did, Yuusei realized it was a boy about his age, with strange blue hair and cuts all over his bare skin. He jumped to his feet and rushed to him, unable to be suspicious of someone who could be a friend.

"You're hurt, please let me help you," he said, holding out an assuring hand. The boy narrowed his eyes at him. Yuusei was struck by the golden hue of his irises that were just as striking as his hair. "My name's Yuusei. We have some spare bandages if you-"

"I'm fine," the other said emphatically, even as the bloodstains on his clothes became more apparent. Most people in Satellite were suspicious of offers of help, and for good reason, so Yuusei didn't take offense at his distrust.

"I live right there," Yuusei said, pointing behind him. "It's an orphanage, and a doctor lives with us. He can help you, if you'd like."

The boy shook his head. "I said I'm fine. I-" He closed his eyes in pain, voice faltering. His hand slipped from the wall supporting him and he started to fall. Yuusei instinctively caught him, kneeling to the ground and placing an arm around his back.

He didn't respond after Yuusei shook him. Concluding that he'd fainted from blood loss, Yuusei knew he needed to get him to the doctor before he was beyond help. The boy was so light he was able to carry him on his back across the street. "Martha! Doctor!" They both came running when they heard Yuusei's shouts, as did half the orphans. The boy was taken into the room the doctor performed check-ups in and the door closed. Yuusei paced nervously outside as Jack and Crow joined him.

"What happened?" Crow asked. "Who's sick?" He looked around, doing a mental headcount of the kids to see if they were all okay.

"It's someone I found outside," Yuusei explained. "He was covered in blood and so pale..."

"If he was in a fight, a gang or someone could be looking for him," Jack said. "I'll keep an eye out outside." Crow said he would too and they posted themselves in front of and behind the house. Yuusei considered helping them, but he wanted to be around for when the boy woke up.

* * *

Kiryu's vision was blurry and his head ached severely when he woke up in a strange room with a man he'd never seen before. He tensed up, looking over the stranger in a white lab coat and trying to remember how he'd gotten here. The man turned and saw that he was awake and smiled in relief. "Thank goodness. I'm Doctor Schmidt. You were found injured nearby, so I've given you some stitches and bandaged up the less serious cuts. I can give you some pain medication as well."

"No, thanks," Kiryu said quickly. He hopped off the examination table even though the room was spinning a bit. He needed to get back home. As for why a doctor had given him free medical treatment, he had no clue and he was about to ask when the door opened and a boy his age poked his head in, smiling when he saw Kiryu. Then Kiryu remembered running away from home and stumbling across this boy who'd been so desperate to make sure he was okay. The doctor excused himself after leaving a pill and a glass of water just in case, and Kiryu decided it was worth sticking around another minute and getting to know this kid.

"You said your name was Yuusei, right? I'm Kiryu." He stuck out his hand and they shook briefly.

Yuusei pulled something out of his pocket. "Here, this came off when I was carrying you over here." He handed over a lavender headband that was somewhat dirty from falling to the ground. Kiryu tied it around his head before speaking again.

"Thanks, Yuusei." He didn't elaborate, so it wasn't obvious if he meant for the headband or for helping him out in general. Either way, Yuusei smiled softly at him. It was perhaps the most genuine smile he'd ever seen and it made his heart beat fast. "I've got to get home now."

There was a flash of disappointment in Yuusei's eyes. "At least let me get you a change of clothes. Yours are..."

"I can wash these later. Don't sweat it." He grinned, despite how his body ached all over. This boy's kindness was like a serum for his pain, one he didn't mind taking. "I owe you for helping me out, though." It was obvious Yuusei was going to protest that point, but Kiryu didn't give him the chance. He stepped forward and pressed his lips to Yuusei's cheek. To his delight, Yuusei blushed furiously and looked down, speechless. Kiryu laughed and said, "I hope we meet again sometime, Yuusei." He left, ignoring the surprised looks from a redhead and a blonde outside. His smile faded as he retraced his steps home.

* * *

Yuusei leaned back comfortably against Kiryu, glad when the other wrapped his arms around his chest and rested his chin on his head. He thought he'd never see Kiryu again after he ran off that night, but he'd reappeared less than a week later and soon became a constant visitor to the orphanage. Crow and Jack had taken to him as well; it was hard not to like Kiryu, honestly.

For Yuusei, it was impossible not to be smitten.

He wondered often if Kiryu felt the same way about him. Kiryu was always holding his hand or complimenting his looks or doing a number of other things that for most people would be a sure sign they were interested. It wasn't so easy to tell with Kiryu, though. His flirtatious nature extended past Yuusei to Jack and Crow and everyone else of a similar age and of any gender. Yuusei hoped it wasn't arrogant that Kiryu still seemed to like him best.

"Why don't you just live here with us?" Yuusei asked, not for the first time.

"Aw, do you miss me that much when I'm gone?" Kiryu teased, laughing and tightening his arms for a hug. "That's adorable."

"I do miss you," Yuusei insisted. "I never know when you'll be back. Or if..."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll always be here for you and Crow and Jack!"

"But where do you go when you aren't here?"

"Nowhere important."

Yuusei could never get anything more detailed than that out of him.

* * *

Yuusei's pulse raced as Kiryu ran cold hands over his stomach before grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head. "You're sure about this, right, Yuusei?" he asked. Yuusei nodded. They'd been officially dating for three months and Yuusei was without a doubt in love. He couldn't have been more sure about doing this.

Kiryu smiled down at him and caressed his cheek. "Don't look so nervous."

"I've never..."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll make it feel great for you."

Yuusei nodded again and smiled back. Kiryu took it slow and it felt amazing. Yuusei was a little embarrassed at just how loud he was in the end, but Kiryu seemed pleased. In the aftermath, when they lay cuddling under a blanket, Yuusei felt unspeakably lucky to have met Kiryu by chance that summer day.

* * *

Kiryu shook in the witness box, hair unkempt and eyes flashing. The judge repeated his demand for Kiryu to answer the lawyer's question, but he remained silent. A recess was called as Kiryu's appointed lawyer attempted to get through to him.

Yuusei sat in the courtroom, feeling sick at the short yet insurmountable distance between him and the person he loved most in the world. His eyes ached from his lack of sleep. Crow was saying something to him, but Yuusei blocked his voice out. Eventually the trial resumed, a flurry of doctors and witnesses and some of the kids from the orphanage who'd been there when Kiryu snapped.

And then Jack was called on. He recounted what had happened, all the while avoiding looking in front of him and seeing Kiryu.

"The orphanage was behind on payments," he said monotously. This speech had obviously been rehearsed. "A debt collector came to talk to Martha, but she wasn't home. We- Kiryu and I- answered the door." A hint of emotion entered his voice when he said Kiryu's name, but then it was gone. "When Kiryu found out what he was there for, he pulled out a knife and stabbed him. He tried to do it again, but I held him back. Then Yuusei-" His voice audibly broke. He took a deep breath and continued on. "Yuusei came and called for an ambulance while Crow and I tried to get Kiryu to calm down."

"Is there anything else you remember?"

"Yes. Kiryu kept saying that he had to kill him to keep us safe."

"Thank you, you are dismissed."

* * *

"Hey, are you okay?"

Jack looked up from the bench outside the courtroom and glared at whoever dared to ask such a stupid question. How could he be okay when he'd just assured one of his best friends was going to be found guilty?

The person who'd spoken was a few years older than him, with dark blue hair and concerned brown eyes. Jack ignored him and stood to go find a quieter corner to think in, but he was stopped when the other stepped in front of him.

"My name's Kazama. I'm a police officer in training here, so if you need any help-"

"I'm fine! Go away!" Jack snapped.

Kazama just smiled gently at him. "It's your friend on trial, isn't it? I'm so sorry you have to testify. I can't imagine how difficult that is."

"No, you can't."

As Jack turned to walk away, Kazama added, "If you have any questions, you can find me around here, okay?"

"I don't have any-" Jack broke off, a new worry springing to mind. "Actually, I have one. How- how serious a crime is perjury?"

"What?" Kazama furrowed his brow, considering the unexpected question. "I hope you weren't misleading..."

"Not me," Jack said quickly. He was just afraid Yuusei would still try to solve Kiryu's problems with a lie.

"Well, it's certainly problematic. You can even go to jail, depending on how severe an offense it is."

Jack narrowed his eyes. He'd be damned if he'd lose Yuusei to jail after all he'd already done that had damaged their bond. Without bothering to thank Kazama, he headed back into the courtroom to keep a close eye on Yuusei and make sure he didn't get any more foolish ideas.

* * *

"Yuusei, just wait a minute. Please."

"I don't have anything to say to you." Yuusei pulled on his jacket and gloves and stormed past Jack. Today Kiryu was allowed visitors at the mental hospital whose care he'd been sentenced into. He'd been diagnosed with paranoid personality disoder during the trial and the judge had demanded he be kept thoroughly supervised during his treatment to avoid any future acts of violence. Fortunately, the debt collector had lived, and Kiryu was only sixteen, or the sentence might have been harsher. But Yuusei knew the verdict was terrible enough; Kiryu couldn't stand being stuck in a room for long, let alone actually locked up. He didn't trust doctors and he hated taking medicine. His sentence would be torture for him, and Yuusei had to be there for him as much as he could, though his visiting hours weren't very generous.

He'd almost saved Kiryu from that fate. He was going to take the blame and say he'd attacked the debt collector. For Kiryu, he'd do that; he'd do anything. But Jack had stopped him. He'd figured out his plan, because he knew how Yuusei's mind worked too well, and he'd gotten the true story to the cops before Yuusei could tell his lie.

"Yuusei-"

Yuusei whirled around, fists clenched. "Just shut up, Jack! How could you do this to Kiryu? It isn't his fault his mind tricks him into thinking a bad decision is a good one!"

"But he's dangerous, Yuusei, and if this helps him-"

"The best way to help him is to stick with him," Yuusei argued. "But now he's separated from us." He shook his head, almost in tears. "I'm going to go see him now. Leave me alone, Jack."

"...Okay."

And he did so, for the next two years.

* * *

The thin white gown made Kiryu appear frailer than ever. He struggled to keep his eyes open, his veins full of a sedative administered after he'd threatened a nurse. He didn't want to admit it and would certainly never do so aloud, but he was frightened. He was at the mercy of a staff of doctors and nurses who were trying to fix him even though he wasn't broken. The pills they forced him to take made him feel weird and the sedatives were even worse. Yuusei was only allowed one hour with him that day, and he could barely focus on him. The warmth of his hand was the nicest feeling he'd had since being admitted.

"Yuusei, I want to go home," he whispered, eyes darting to the door to make sure they were actually alone. "I hate it here."

"I know, Kiryu. I'll be here with you as much as I can," Yuusei promised. His voice shook and he squeezed Kiryu's hand. "I love you."

"Why are they giving me medicine? There's nothing wrong with me," Kiryu fumed. "I was only protecting you guys!"

"...But you really hurt someone. He wasn't going to do anything to us, Kiryu."

"Not him. It wasn't him..."

"What?" Yuusei sounded confused, but Kiryu didn't know why. It was so obvious why he'd had to stop the debt collector from seeing Martha.

"I'm tired..."

"You can rest, okay? I'll stay here as long as I can and I'll be back tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Of course."

* * *

Jack's seventeenth birthday was strange. He had plans with Kazama that evening, but he didn't think he'd be able to see him after all. It was hard to keep his mind on celebrating for himself when he'd just found out Kiryu'd been released from the hospital. For eight months, he'd been treated and watched over and now he was finally deemed able to function in society, albeit with the help of medication.

He must have done the right thing, then, if Kiryu had recovered. But he felt guilty all the same, because he kept hoping that now that Kiryu was free, Yuusei would call him and apologize, realizing he'd been right all along. That wasn't the important thing, he knew, but it was what he wanted more than anything. Life wasn't exactly lonely anymore, since he'd become close with Kazama, but it was difficult on some days when the rift between him and his old friends was particularly apparent. And he wasn't over Yuusei, though Yuusei'd made his choice extremely clear.

Yuusei didn't call. Kazama did, at seven, asking why he hadn't shown up at the restaurant as planned. Somehow, Jack dragged himself from his apartment and continued through with his birthday plans, forgetting after awhile how empty the table was without Yuusei, Crow, and Kiryu.

* * *

**No preview for next chapter's title, since I haven't decided on it yet... I wasn't originally going to make this chapter only flashbacks, but the more I wrote, the more I realized I wanted to say about their pasts.**

**Ah, treasonshipping, you hurt so beautifully.**


	6. New Suspicions and a Ploy

**Chapter Six: New Suspicions and a Ploy**

At midnight, Jack asked if Kiryu should get some sleep for his classes the next day. Kiryu agreed with a yawn and started stripping down to change into his pajamas in the middle of the room. Jack rolled his eyes and turned away; he was far too used to Kiryu's shameless behavior to say anything at this point.

"Aren't you tired?" Kiryu asked when he'd snuggled under the covers. Jack looked up from his laptop and shrugged.

"Not particularly. I'll sleep soon."

"Come on now, it's cold," Kiryu whined playfully.

"So get another blanket."

"Yuusei's so much nicer than you."

"He's a doormat for you," Jack muttered under his breath.

"What would you know about us? You've been gone for two years."

The subtle change in his voice, from playfully complaining to mildly accusing, made Jack turn around and fix Kiryu with a careful look. But he was smiling and looked completely harmless with his bangs falling into his sleepy eyes.

"I'm here now." Jack went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He frowned when he saw how bloodshot his eyes looked. It had been a hectic weekend, with all the drinking and suddenly deciding to transfer colleges, so he hadn't rested well. He wondered if they had any eye-drops, so he opened the cabinet above the sink. There was just a single bottle in there. Jack picked it up and read the label, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him when he realized what it was. It was hard for him to remember that Kiryu really was sick and that was why he acted the way he did sometimes; after all, he looked so healthy and was usually so capable.

_But if he's taking medicine, why is he still acting paranoid? _Jack frowned, spinning the bottle between his fingers. _He better not be forgetting to._ He placed the bottle back on the shelf and closed the cabinet. After changing into something more comfortable, he climbed into bed. Kiryu immediately tried to cuddle up against him, but a few choice words and a barrier of pillows eventually got him to stay on his side.

* * *

The drive went smoothly. Kazama didn't try to force a conversation, and Yuusei was equally content to let the miles pass in silence. He'd figured Kazama would be somewhat easygoing at least; it took a special kind of person to put up with Jack for extended periods of time, after all. He was admittedly curious about Kazama and what Jack had been up to for the past two years, but not curious enough to ask. Or rather, his anger still outweighed his curiosity.

The laidback nature of the drive was broken about half an hour from their destination. That was when Kazama said, "Jack told me what you were planning to do for Kiryu, and what he did to stop you." Yuusei stiffened, afraid of where this talk might lead. "I think both of your positions are understandable, so could you consider forgiving Jack? You're... very important to him."

"I thought Kiryu was too," Yuusei muttered.

"He is," Kazama said firmly. "I'm sure you could tell that today."

Yuusei sighed. It was true. Jack was clearly making an effort to be one of Kiryu's friends again. And Kiryu was thrilled to have him back. At least for Kiryu's sake, Yuusei was going to have to learn to live with Jack again.

After all... He did miss him. Jack was the first friend he'd ever made and they'd once spent all their waking moments together. Yuusei felt like he could have forgiven him sooner if he hadn't disappeared after his betrayal, but he had, and then had proceeded to ignore his and Crow's attempts to find out how he was doing afterward. "Jack's a difficult person... but he is important to me."

Kazama looked pleased. "That's good to hear. You know, he's always talked about you a lot. One would practically think you two had been more than friends," he laughed easily.

"Me and Jack?" Yuusei blinked then laughed as well. "I've never thought of anyone but Kiryu that way, and I don't think Jack was interested in anything more either."

"Is that so?" The conversation turned to Jack's short-lived judo career and they were at his old college in no time.

* * *

_You're lucky we're friends, Jack. I can't believe you want to double-cross me again..._

Kiryu'd thought Jack's ridiculous crush on his boyfriend would have faded away by now. Today had proved otherwise. The way Jack looked at Yuusei made it all too obvious to Kiryu, who was an expert at reading people even when they weren't being so blatant. Yuusei was _his_; what the hell was Jack playing at?

But even coupled with everything else he'd done to Kiryu, he just couldn't bring himself to hate Jack. However, if he made a move on Yuusei, Kiryu's generosity would end.

Kiryu watched Jack's peaceful sleeping face, highlighted by the moonlight streaming through a slit in the curtains. "Don't make me hurt you, Jack," he murmured. "You're one of my only friends..."

* * *

Crow opened up his wallet and sighed. It contained a grand total of five hundred yen and if he wanted anything for lunch, he would soon have nothing. He'd had to quit his old job to move to Tokushima and hadn't been able to find a new one yet. Thank goodness he and Yuusei had been awarded generous academic scholarships, or they wouldn't have been able to afford the housing and tuition. Kiryu hadn't been eligible for some of the academic rewards thanks to his interrupted high school career, but he had enough money from an inheritance to get by for a few more years. He never talked about his family and Crow wasn't sure if even Yuusei knew what his parents had been like. At least they'd had the decency to have life insurance.

_Focus, Crow. You've got to find a job today. _He shook off thoughts of the past as he searched campus for the career center. It was tucked into the corner of a large building full of classrooms that he passed by quietly as teachers lectured inside. There was a bulletin board on the wall outside the center's waiting room and he perused the listings carefully for anything of interest. He burst into a grin when he saw a flier thumb-tacked in the middle of the board, almost covered up by an ad for a restaurant needing servers. He pulled the flier off, skimmed the information, and stuffed it into his pocket before leaving for the address on it.

It was about a fifteen minute walk from campus. The streets became dirtier and the buildings more run-down, which might have deterred some people, but Crow hardly noticed, as accustomed as he was to living in near-poverty. It did cross his mind that someone living in an area like this might not be able to pay much, but he wasn't going to count the job out just yet.

He reached a medium-sized apartment complex and started looking for Room 313A. A television was barely audible behind the wooden door, but it switched off when Crow knocked. A harried-looking man opened the door, looking both relieved and confused at the sight of a teenage boy standing on his doorstep. "Can I help you?"

Crow held up the flier. "I'm here about the babysitting job."

"You are?" He looked over Crow and shrugged with a half-smile. "Well, come on in and let's talk."

They had to step over random toys and discarded jackets, the man apologizing for the mess. "I put up that flier a few weeks ago and I guess I'd stopped expecting anyone to answer. The truth is," he said as Crow sat at a kitchen table, "I can't pay that well, but I desperately need someone to come over here a few hours a day to watch my two kids. It's just for a little while after their school lets out, until I can get back from work. I've been letting Nico take care of West, but with all the burglaries going on around here lately, I don't want to leave them alone any longer. Oh, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Sergio."

Crow shook his hand. "The name's Crow. I go to Tokushima not far from here. Could I meet them? Nico and West, I mean."

He nodded and called for them to come out of their room. A girl who was maybe eleven and a boy who looked about six entered the kitchen, eyeing Crow curiously. Crow immediately entered big brother mode, smiling kindly as he walked to them. "I'm Crow. How would you like me to hang out with you guys while your dad's still out working?"

Nico smiled back and West asked, "Can we have lots of fun?"

"You bet." Crow noticed the rectangular object clutched in West's hand. "Hey, is that a Duel Monsters deck?"

He nodded excitedly. "I'm learning how to play. Do you know how?"

"Well, you could say that- I _was_ the champion in a regional tournament back in junior high," bragged Crow. West's eyes widened in awe.

"Good," Nico laughed. "You can play with him instead of him always trying to teach me."

Crow turned back to Sergio and said, "I'd like the job."

"You've got it."

* * *

"Yuusei!" Kiryu pounced on his boyfriend the next morning when he came back to their dorm room. They shared a quick kiss.

"Where's Jack?" Yuusei asked.

"Over in Crow's room, I think. Did you and that other guy manage to get all his stuff?"

"Yeah. Since the college was so far away we had to get a motel for the night, but at least we got it all in one go. I need to get ready for classes now."

"Me too. Why don't we shower together?" Kiryu proposed with a glint in his eye.

"Sounds good," Yuusei grinned.

A few minutes later, Kiryu had Yuusei pinned to the shower wall, sucking on his neck hard enough to bruise. Yuusei moaned Kiryu's name, reaching out a hand to twine their fingers together. Actually taking a shower was forgotten- though that hadn't been Kiryu's intention in the first place.

He'd entered the bathroom a minute after Yuusei, only after he'd sent out a text. _Hey Jack, Yuusei got your stuff, why don't you swing by? _Then he'd left the door unlocked, knowing Jack would think nothing of barging into someone else's room.

Kiryu hid his smirk as he made sure Yuusei was even louder than normal. He sat on his knees and took Yuusei in his mouth, using his tongue to tease the tip of his cock before taking him in deeper. His hands stroked up and down Yuusei's thighs as Yuusei fisted his hands in Kiryu's hair. "Fuck, Kiryu," he moaned, thrusting a bit into Kiryu's mouth. "You're amazing at that..."

At that moment, just over the sound of spraying water, it almost sounded like a door slammed. Kiryu smiled and brought Yuusei to climax.

* * *

"Something wrong, Jack?" asked Kazama. He and Jack had just finished moving all his stuff from Kazama's car to Crow's room. Throughout the process, Jack had seemed troubled to Kazama, even more withdrawn than usual.

"No." Jack turned away, staring at nothing. Kazama reached out and placed a hand on either of his shoulders, regaining his attention.

"Jack, you can always talk to me, you know that, right?" he asked earnestly.

"I said I'm fine," Jack muttered, pulling out of Kazama's grasp. "Go get back to work before you get fired."

"I'm the best they've got, they won't fire me," Kazama joked, trying to lighten the mood. Jack didn't respond, and Kazama sighed internally. _He never opens up to me. Which means he never opens up to anybody. That must be so... lonely. _"I'll come visit soon. Call me if you need anything, Jack. I mean it." Jack grunted a goodbye and Kazama got into his car. As he drove off, he noticed Jack standing still in the rearview mirror, the very image of anything but fine.

* * *

_It's so weird I haven't run into Jack yet. And Crow said he hasn't seen him since he dumped his stuff in their room... _Yuusei had to admit he was a little worried. Talking to Kazama had helped him begin to forgive Jack, but now that he was determined to mend their bond, he couldn't even find him. He wasn't answering his phone, either.

Yuusei mused aloud, "If I were a fickle, moody blonde with a king complex, where would I be?" He decided to try the library. Jack liked to read, after all, so it was worth a shot.

The university library was vast, with three stories and an additional basement. Yuusei checked the poetry section, the medieval literature section, and near a display case of first-edition plays. In the end, he scoured the whole library twice, but he didn't come across Jack anywhere. Sighing, he decided he may as well get one of the books his calculus professor had recommended in class while he was here.

He located the thick textbook at the very top of a tall bookcase and looked at it with dismay. It was well out of his reach; sometimes being short sucked. _And if I'd run into Jack, he could've gotten it for me._

"Need some help?"

Yuusei turned to the side, ready to deny that his short stature was causing him problems. However, when he was met with a kind smile rather than a teasing one, he decided to admit his dilemma to the gigantic blue-haired guy who'd appeared at his side. "That would be nice. Could you reach that book for me?"

"No problem." He pulled it off the shelf and handed it over after reading the title. "Hey, Professor Izumi recommended this, didn't he?"

"Yeah. You're taking calculus too? I'm sorry, I don't remember you being in my class..."

The stranger waved a hand nonchalantly. "He teaches two sections of it. The name's Antinomy, by the way. And I bet you're Fudou Yuusei."

"How did you know?" asked Yuusei in surprise.

"I was just taking a guess," he admitted. "Professor Izumi keeps telling us we should work hard like this guy named Fudou Yuusei in his other class. And here you are, checking out a book for his class less than an hour after he mentioned the title."

Yuusei felt a little embarrassed that a professor was talking about him without his knowledge. "It sounded interesting..."

"Yeah, I thought so too. I'm a mathematics major. What about you?"

"Physics. Oh, were you planning on checking this book out?"

"I was considering it," Antinomy laughed, "but I'm sure it's in better hands with you."

"I wish there were more than one copy... Well, I'll let you know as soon as I'm done with it, okay?"

Antinomy smiled again. "Sounds good. See you around, Yuusei."

He waved and walked off. _He seems like a nice person. I wish we were in the same class. Maybe we'll get to study together..._ These thoughts in mind, Yuusei made his way to the check-out counter and had them scan the book for him. After putting it in his backpack, he left the library and remembered that he was looking for Jack. He wasn't sure why he was bothering, really. It's not like Jack wasn't going to be living one floor below them for the next two semesters.

_And knowing him, he'll end up crashing where he wants, including our room. Though, I doubt he'll want to do that after he realizes Kiryu will try to have sex with me no matter how many people are in the room. _Yuusei chuckled. His boyfriend was truly insatiable.

While walking back, Yuusei noticed a flash of gold to his right. Jack was sitting nearby on the edge of the elaborate fountain placed in the center of the campus. _Of course, he'd be attracted to a lavish place like this. I should've known. _Yuusei hurried over. Jack didn't notice him until he was a few feet away. His eyes widened a fraction then relaxed as he returned to staring at the geysers spraying water into the air above the fountain.

"Hey, Jack. Is this where you've been all day?"

Jack shrugged without looking at him.

Yuusei narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Jack, is something-"

"_Nothing _is wrong, and I wish everyone would stop asking me that!" Jack snapped at him.

Yuusei suppressed the urge to snap back, feeling genuinely concerned for Jack and wondering what could have happened since last night to make him act like this. " Jack, obviously something's wrong."

"Nothing you would care about."

"I _do _care!" Yuusei said. "Yeah, I'm still mad at you, and I don't know when I can stop that completely, but... I want us to be friends again. And as friends, I want you to let me know what happened so maybe I can help."

Jack shook his head. "I can't tell _you_."

There was finality in Jack's tone, but Yuusei persisted anyway. "Yes, you can. What happened to being able to tell each other anything? You can trust me." _And one day, I'll trust you again too._

"Drop it. I mean it," Jack said. "Anyway, I should go back to the dorm and unpack the rest of my things."

"Then I'll help you. We all will. Let me just text Kiryu-"

"_No!"_

Yuusei paused with his hand in his pocket, about to pull out his phone. A feeling of dread washed over him. "Did- did Kiryu do or say something to you?" Memories of Kiryu's days in the hospital, when he'd ranted about everyone, returned. He'd called Yuusei a traitor for not helping him "escape," but he'd threatened Jack much more.

_How could he do this to me, Yuusei!? I should've just let him get hurt!_

"No, he didn't," Jack answered him after a moment. The pause made Yuusei suspicious, but he could tell he wasn't going to get any more information out of Jack right then. He'd have to approach Kiryu later.

"If he didn't, then it's fine if we all help you out, right? All of our old team," Yuusei ended in a wistful murmur.

"...Fine."

They walked back to the dorm in a tense silence.

* * *

**A/N: I'm back! Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to come out, haha. So now that Yuusei is becoming friends again with Jack, problems with Kiryu are starting... What a dysfunctional group of friends.**

**Reviews are much loved.**


	7. Stolen Cards and a Riding Suit

**Chapter Seven: Stolen Cards and a Riding Suit**

"Hey, Kiryu, can I ask you something?"

A few days had passed since Jack's transfer became official. Yuusei'd been waiting for the right time to talk to Kiryu about Jack's strange behavior the day he'd sulked by the fountain, and this calm afternoon seemed ideal. Kiryu was in a good mood, having aced his biology test thanks to Yuusei's tutoring, and neither of them had much homework. That meant they could just enjoy one another's company. Currently, this involved Kiryu laying his head in Yuusei's lap and letting him play with his silky hair while he let his nails dry from a fresh lavender coat.

"What is it? I'll paint your nails too, if you want."

Yuusei suppressed a smile as he imagined himself with sky blue nails and white tips or whatever combination Kiryu came up with to suit him. "I'll pass. Actually, I wanted to ask something about Jack."

"Sure." Kiryu blew on his nails. Yuusei was momentarily distracted by the alluring way his mouth puckered.

"Ah... I was wondering, how do you feel about having him back here with us?"

Kiryu tilted his head back and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? It's the best, having all of us together again. Don't you think so?"

"Yes... But Jack seemed upset a few days ago and I wondered if you knew why." _Damn, that wasn't subtle at all. _Yuusei hoped Kiryu wouldn't get defensive or upset now.

"Oh, that." Kiryu sighed. "I think he got sick of me and Crow teasing him about Kazama. They'd make a hot couple, wouldn't they?"

Yuusei hid his relief. If that was all that had happened, he'd been worrying for nothing. "I hadn't thought about it. Jack isn't the dating type, anyway. I mean, it's not like he hasn't had plenty of offers. He just turns them all down."

"Maybe that's because all the offers are from girls and he's as interested in dating them as he would be in dating Crow."

Yuusei laughed. "You have a point. But don't pressure him about Kazama, all right? He'll find someone for him when the time is right."

"I'm glad I didn't have to wait that long," Kiryu said, smiling.

"We were lucky," Yuusei agreed softly, leaning down for a kiss. Before his lips could touch Kiryu's, there was heavy knocking on the door.

Crow's voice came through to them. "Hurry and open up, guys!"

Kiryu grumbled, "I _told _you he was the one with the bad timing, not me." He moved from Yuusei's lap and opened the door, careful not to smudge his polish on anything. "What's-"

Crow cut him off by darting under his arm and pushing the door closed. "Whew, that was close."

"What happened?" Yuusei asked, rising in concern.

"Nothing," said Crow innocently. He tossed a bag down on Kiryu's desk before claiming the chair to rest in as he got his breath back. "Just getting some presents for West."

"The kid you're babysitting?" Yuusei recalled.

"Yeah, one of them." From the bag he withdrew a stack of Duel Monsters cards, some in protective sleeves, and rifled through them attentively. Kiryu stood behind him and nodded in approval.

"Those are some good cards. Damn, why'd we stop playing that game? I can't remember..."

_We stopped because you introduced it to us and after you were arrested, it wasn't the same. _It wasn't just that sad memory that bothered Yuusei now. He asked, "Crow, did you steal those from somebody?"

"Now why would you think that?" Crow smirked, admiring the way the light reflected off a holographic card.

"So you did."

Kiryu high-fived him. "Nice work."

Yuusei crossed his arms and glared at them. "It's not 'nice work.' Crow, you have to give them back to whoever you took them from."

"Lighten up, Yuusei," Kiryu frowned.

Crow added in his defense, "He didn't even want them! He was bragging about how he was going to make a bunch of money selling his older brother's old trading cards. West will actually appreciate them."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Oh, like you've never stolen before!" Crow snapped.

"Food, when the alternative was starvation. And then only from those who had plenty."

Crow rolled his eyes and went back to organizing the cards by rarity. "What are you gonna do, turn me in?"

"Of course not, but..."

Neither Crow nor Kiryu were listening to him anymore. Yuusei sighed and left the room unnoticed, laptop in tow. He needed a break from trying to keep his friends out of trouble. _I almost feel like I should congratulate Jack for causing me the fewest headaches this week._

* * *

Kazama narrowly escaped being forced to work overtime that weekend. Normally he didn't mind getting pinned with the extra hours, but he already had plans with Jack. At least, he probably did. Jack wasn't answering his texts, which meant he was upset, but he also hadn't replied with a resounding "no" when Kazama said he wanted to hang out Saturday afternoon.

He had an idea for something that might cheer Jack up. Since he'd always found riding his motorcycle to be a great stress-reliever, he thought it might prove helpful for Jack as well. Letting the wind carry away troublesome thoughts, feeling the roar and speed of the machine... It seemed like something Jack would like.

With this hope is mind, he showed up at Tokushima right at noon on Saturday. To his delight, Jack was waiting in the spot he'd suggested, near the parking lot Kazama'd used before. "So you did get my texts."

"All twenty of them."

Kazama grinned sheepishly. _Did I really send that many? _"I wouldn't have to send so many if you'd answer and let me know you're alive every once in awhile."

"Stop worrying so much. So, what's this mysterious idea you had?" Jack asked, referencing Kazama's vague texts.

"You're looking at it." He gestured to his shiny black bike and waited for Jack to catch on. Judging from his blank stare, though, that wasn't happening. "I thought I'd teach you the art of driving a motorcycle."

"I don't have a motorcycle license." Jack smirked. "Are you encouraging me to break the law, Officer?"

_Well, if he's back to teasing, that's a good sign, right? _"Of course not," Kazama said indignantly. "I'll drive until we're on a quiet side road. It's not a problem for you to practice somewhere uncrowded, I'd say, and if you find you like it you can apply for the license."

"Why are you offering this all of a sudden?"

_Because you're sad and I'll try anything to cheer you up, because I... _Like Kazama could admit to Jack the feelings he held in his heart. "Think of it as an early birthday present."

"It's nowhere near my birthday."

"That's why I said 'early.'"

"What if I say no?"

"And why would you?"

"I don't have a proper riding suit."

For a moment Kazama just stared. Then he couldn't help it; he burst into laughter. Jack looked completely affronted at his behavior. "What the hell's so funny?"

Kazama could barely answer through his laughter. "Only _you_... would have such a reason," he got out. He'd thought Jack would protest on the grounds of not wanting to ride behind Kazama, or because he preferred to jump headfirst into things rather than being taught like a reasonable person. But no, his reason was because he didn't have an outfit for it.

"I'm being serious!" Jack said crossly.

"I know, I know." Kazama took a deep breath and forced himself to stop laughing. "If that's the problem, why don't I just take you shopping then? There should be a store nearby where you can get a... 'proper riding suit.'"

"You're making fun of me," Jack scowled, starting to turn away.

"Jack, wait!" Kazama reached out to him, feeling bad about his outburst now. He'd come to cheer Jack up, not put him in a worse mood. "I'm sorry for laughing. I really will take you shopping."

Jack looked at his outstretched hand in contemplation. "Throw in a meal and I'll go."

_Shit, that's almost like a date. _Kazama coughed, "Yeah, whatever you want."

"All right then." He took the back seat without any prompting. Kazama couldn't believe how well this was going.

"Here, you need to wear this," he said, handing Jack a spare helmet. "Though someone as hardheaded as you probably doesn't need one."

Jack rolled his eyes at Kazama and put the helmet on. Once Kazama got on the bike and adjusted his own helmet, Jack put his arms around Kazama's waist and held onto him loosely. Kazama couldn't help but smile as he said, "Hold on tighter or you'll fall off."

They left the parking lot and soon Kazama was driving through the city's main streets. It was hard to focus on finding a shop that looked like it would sell something in Jack's style- his strange, flashy style- when his mind only wanted to focus on how nice it felt to have Jack's arms encircling him. They were strong and warm-

-a_nd he wishes he were holding Yuusei with them. _Kazama's smile faded. He was definitely getting carried away, comparing what they had planned to a date. In Jack's mind, they were friends, nothing more. Jack loved Yuusei, even if Yuusei didn't love him back.

"_He's always been the only one for me."_

Could Kazama really convince him otherwise?

He was considerably more somber when he pulled into the parking lot of a bustling mall. He turned off the bike and said, "Surely there will be a store here that sells something you'll like."

Jack studied his face after getting off the bike and removing his helmet. "Is something wrong?"

Kazama forced himself to look cheerful. "No, why do you ask? Come on, let's go." He walked ahead of Jack and tried to compose himself.

He could sense Jack watching him suspiciously, but only until they entered the mall. Instantly Jack was distracted by all the sights. That made Kazama's smile less forced; he adored the way Jack became absorbed in whatever he was doing, be it a judo match or clothes shopping.

For the next few hours, Jack dragged him from store to store. Most of them clearly didn't have what they were looking for, being full of fancy dress clothes instead of anything riding-appropriate, but Kazama didn't complain. Eventually, Jack picked a store with a small collection of riding suits in the back. His eyes lit up and he snatched something off the rack before making for the dressing room. Kazama studied a shelf of leather gloves until he heard Jack say, "What do you think?"

Kazama tried to keep his face casual, but his heart rate accelerated as he took in the sight of Jack in a form-fitting full-body riding suit. It was white and violet, which accentuated his eyes nicely. If only he hadn't zipped it all the way up... "It's good. Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," Jack affirmed, looking back at the dressing room's inner mirror and posing with one hand on his hip. "This is the one."

"It's the only one you tried on, are you sure?"

"Yes."

He changed out of it and carried it to the counter along with a pair of white leather gloves. But when the cashier told him the price, Kazama saw his face fall. Jack never talked about his financial situation, but Kazama had learned a bit about it over the years. He'd grown up penniless in an orphanage with too many kids to afford treats or any sort of excess. But when he became a popular judo practitioner, his manager had spoiled him with all sorts of material goods and an apartment lease that was still ongoing. Apparently, he hadn't yet adjusted to not having someone buy his things.

Jack withdrew a few bills from his wallet, but the amount fell short of the suit's price. Not wanting to see him further humiliated, Kazama pulled out his own cash. Jack narrowed his eyes at him and said, "Forget it. I'll just put it back. I don't need your help."

"Who said I wasn't asking you to pay me back?" Kazama asked for the sake of Jack's pride. "Here, just borrow some of my money."

Jack hesitated a moment before accepting the money and giving it to the cashier. When his things were bagged and handed to him, he left the store with Kazama and muttered, "I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"I know. Don't sweat it."

Outside the mall, the sun was beginning to set. "Um... I guess I'll give you those lessons another day," Kazama laughed. They'd completely lost track of time and while Kazama wasn't normally a fan of shopping, somehow he hadn't minded it today. "Why don't we eat and then I'll take you back to your college?"

"I'm not hungry. Let's just go back."

Kazama figured he didn't want to have someone pay for his things twice in one day, so he didn't push it, though he was disappointed. "All right. Should I come up next weekend then?"

"Sure."

Knowing he wouldn't see Jack for another week, Kazama did his best to enjoy having him close on the ride back. And if Jack didn't have such a good sense of direction, he would've been tempted to take the long way back, but he resisted and much too soon he was bidding Jack goodbye.

* * *

Jack was glad to have his room to himself that evening. He hung the riding suit up in the corner of his closet, wondering if he would actually get the chance to wear it and go riding the next weekend. It could be fun, but Kazama was a stickler for rules, and he'd definitely make sure Jack didn't go too fast. Still, anything that distracted him from thinking about Yuusei was welcome. It was great to be back with his friends, but it was also painful. He'd forgotten how excessively Kiryu and Yuusei displayed their affections for each other.

Jack fell back onto his bed and sighed. How long had he been in love with Yuusei? He couldn't remember a time he hadn't felt strongly for him. He'd planned on making his feelings known one day, but then Kiryu had appeared and Yuusei'd been wholly enraptured by him. Even though Kiryu had almost killed someone, even though Kiryu had fractured their group of friends... Did none of that matter to Yuusei?

_I have to get over him. _It was painful to think that anything was unattainable for the great Jack Atlas, but Yuusei was out of his reach. _But I can't just give up. I _never _give up. What can I do to make Yuusei see that I'm better for him than Kiryu is?_

If only he could borrow Crow's power of instantly moving on each time he broke up with someone or got turned down by a girl. But Jack didn't see multiple potential partners in the world. From his throne, he saw only the best.

After double-checking the lock, Jack returned to his bed and slipped a hand into his pants. Maybe he just needed to relieve some tension. He worked his hand back and forth while imagining it was Yuusei's. He could see the tiny smirk that would be on Yuusei's face and hear the low whisper in his ear, "Does it feel good, Jack?"

Jack bit his lip to keep from moaning as his fantasy extended to Yuusei putting his mouth to his cock, kissing and licking and finally sucking when Jack thought he could stand the teasing no more. His eyes clenched shut and his face flushed. _Yuusei..._

It felt so good, but he couldn't come. His frustration grew and his mental images dissipated. Though his hand moved faster, it was useless. Now he could only think of Kiryu leading Yuusei away by the hand, Yuusei never looking back...

The desire previously burning within him faded. _I can't have him. I can never have the one I want. _He pulled his hand out of his pants. _Fuck this. Fuck him. Jack Atlas does not _pine_ over anyone!_

His phone beeped from where he'd left it on the floor. Jack picked it up and checked the text he'd just gotten from Kazama.

_I had fun today, Jack. I hope you sleep well. :)_

That wasn't likely. Jack started to drop the phone but decided he might as well reply.

_What are you talking about? I'm not the one who needs beauty sleep._

And though his frustration didn't leave, a faint smile appeared on his face as he pressed send.

* * *

**A/N: **Normally I get ready to post this and realize I've forgotten all the author's notes I wanted to make and then I just ramble. But this time I actually remembered what I wanted to mention about this chapter.

First, Jack's not wanting Kazama to give him money. This may seem contrary to his behavior in 5Ds, where he spends Crow's money without a thought. But I think that's because it's Crow, who is basically his brother, and because he knows he can get away with it, he can continue living like he did when he was with Godwin. It's all part of his fantasy of being King, which he developed all those hours he spent on his makeshift throne in Satellite and dreamed of living the best life possible. When this fantasy becomes impossible in this chapter- he tries to buy something but he simply doesn't have enough money- just borrowing from Kazama isn't enough to make him feel better. He's reminded that he doesn't have all that much, in reality, and having Kazama buy him dinner after shopping would only rub that fact in more.

...I spend a lot of time thinking about Jack Atlas, you see.

Oh, and that line about Jack not wanting to date Crow was not meant to offend squabbleshippers. I actually like that pairing, haha.

This chapter would have been out earlier, but Otakon. I cosplayed as Team Satisfaction Kiryu! It was so fun. And also, I completely scrapped the last part of this chapter and had to come up with an entirely new scene. Anyway, trouble is coming (as always in my stories). Next chapter:

_Revelations and a Repair_


	8. Revelations and a Repair

**Chapter Eight: Revelations and a Repair**

When Yuusei got out of his calculus class, he spotted Antinomy crouched down at a nearby bike rack, fiddling with a purple bike. He walked over and greeted him.

"Oh, hey, Yuusei." Antinomy flashed him a smile before refocusing on his current problem. By accident or as the result of someone's idea of a joke, Antinomy's bike lock was intertwined with the lock of the bike next to it. "Sorry, I can't really talk now. Gotta get this sorted out or I'll be late for class."

"I can take a look, if you want."

"Thanks, but I've got it." True to his word, he managed to remove the offending lock and roll his bike away from the rack. "If only Placido's bike problems could be solved that easily," he mused.

"Placido?" Yuusei asked, curious about the atypical name.

"My friend," Antinomy answered. "His motorbike's been acting strangely lately. I'm normally pretty good with mechanics, but I just can't figure out what's wrong."

Yuusei smiled a little. "I'm something of a mechanic myself."

"Is that so? We seem to have a lot in common." Antinomy considered him a moment longer before shrugging and saying, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd be glad to have an extra set of eyes check it out. Why don't we meet up around four and you can come over to our place and give it a look?"

"I'd be glad to."

They exchanged numbers before Antinomy pedaled away. In the couple of hours he had to kill, Yuusei returned to his dorm, finished his homework, and then reviewed for an upcoming test until his phone rang. The number flashing on the screen was a familiar one, if somewhat unexpected. "Hi, Martha."

"Yuusei, hello! How are you doing? How's Crow and Kiryu and Jack?" After he confirmed everyone was doing well, she chuckled and went on. "Tell Jack now that he's decided to stop being so stubborn, he'd better come pay me a visit soon!"

"I'll let him know." For whatever reason, Jack had always been Martha's undeniable favorite. His leaving when he was sixteen had hurt her greatly, but from the warmth in her voice, he was obviously already forgiven. "Is there anything else you called about?"

"There is. Could you tell Crow to call home tonight and talk to the kids for awhile? Some of them aren't taking his absence too well."

"Okay, but wouldn't you rather talk to him yourself?"

"I called him earlier," she explained, "but as soon as he answered, Kiryu must've taken the phone from him. He said they were in the middle of an important game and Crow would have to call back. Well, he's always been headstrong and," she admitted with a laugh, "a little rude like that. He's lucky he's not one of mine or I'd box his ears."

"I'll make him apologize," Yuusei promised. Kiryu should've known a phone call from Martha was more important to Crow than whatever game they were playing.

A beeping noise indicated someone else was trying to call. Yuusei quickly bade Martha goodbye and answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Yuusei."

"Hey, Antinomy. Ready to meet up?"

"Um, actually, I can't. Not right now."

Yuusei leaned forward in his chair and pressed the phone closer to his ear. Antinomy sounded a little off, and he'd been sure of their plans earlier... "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing at all! Don't worry about it."

"...Okay. I can still look the bike over myself."

"That would be great, but if you can't figure it out, don't stress, okay?" He provided his address before hanging up.

_I wonder what that was all about. _Yuusei tried to shake off his worries as he pulled on his coat and gloves. When he turned to leave, the door opened and Kiryu walked in.

"Hey, going somewhere?" Kiryu asked.

"Yeah, a friend needs help repairing a bike. Shouldn't be a problem, so I won't be gone long."

"Want me to go with you?"

"You'll just get bored," Yuusei pointed out. Many afternoons when Yuusei had worked in their garage resulted in Kiryu trying to keep him company before getting bored and leaving before Yuusei was halfway done. It didn't help that Yuusei tended to zone out while working and didn't notice if someone was talking to him. Or groping him.

"True." Kiryu flopped down on the bed. Yuusei started to say something about Martha's call, but sensed Kiryu was in a bad mood over something.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. The little brat beat me in ping pong three times in a row, though. I'm the leader of our group, I'm supposed to win," complained Kiryu.

Kiryu only referred to Crow as "little brat" when he was irritated. It was more of a reference to his age than height; Crow had skipped a couple of grades in school and thus was younger than the rest of them.

At least that was all that was wrong, though Yuusei was regretful he couldn't stay and cheer him up. "You know he can't be beat at that game."

"Yeah, yeah." He turned his head and smiled at Yuusei. "Hurry back, okay? I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Yuusei wasn't sure what he was expecting Antinomy's living quarters to look like, but it certainly wasn't what the lavish mansion he found. If not for the Italian-sounding surname posted outside, he might've called Antinomy back to make sure he had the address right. Antinomy's roommate Placido must have been absurdly rich.

There was a garage on the other side of the driveway Yuusei parked in. He could see the shadowy outline of a bike through its window as he knocked on the front door.

A whole minute passed before a voice suspiciously asked, "Who's there?"

"Fudou Yuusei, a friend of Antimony."

"Antinomy's not here."

"I know, he asked me to take a look at your bike- assuming you're Placido?"

"I don't need your help."

"Is the bike fixed?"

Silence. Yuusei suppressed a sigh. It would be nice if he would at least open the door so they could stop raising their voices to speak through it.

At last the lock clicked open and Yuusei was met with a sight as unexpected as the house had been. Placido was dressed completely in white, including his high-heeled boots, which made his crimson eyes easily stand out. He was scowling deeply and his face was partially shadowed by the white hood he wore. "I'll let you into the garage. But if you break _anything_, you'll pay for it."

"I'm here to fix things, not break them," Yuusei answered. It was hard to respond civilly, but for Antinomy's sake, he was trying.

Placido returned to the house as soon as Yuusei was inside the garage. Yuusei was grateful he wouldn't be hovering around, criticizing his every movement. With the tools he'd brought, he set to work determining what was wrong with the shiny chrome bike. He became so consumed in his work he didn't move from his position kneeling down on the concrete floor for almost an hour. His knees protested after awhile, but his body was mostly used to such abuse.

"Just gotta test it out..." He switched the engine on and smiled triumphantly at its quiet hum. Though he'd prefer to go for a test run before declaring the bike fully functional again, he had a feeling Placido wouldn't like that.

He packed his tools up, left them in his car, and went back to the front door to return the bike's keys. However, his knocking was ignored. "Placido? I'm done," he called out. Nothing could be heard from inside. _Give me a break..._

It wasn't reallybreaking-and-entering since he was just returning something, right? Yuusei shimmied the lock open at a speed Crow would've been proud of and went inside. It was somehow more lavish within than without, the walls covered with paintings and each piece of white furniture- and there seemed to be no other color- free of dust. There was a grand piano positioned in a room right off the hallway. Yuusei wondered if Antinomy or Placido played. Now that he thought about it, he knew next to nothing about Antinomy. Coupled with the strange phone call and his even stranger housemate, Yuusei was curious to get to know him beyond his interest in science and technology.

But for now, he just wanted to leave the keys and get out. He could see a rack of keys all the way down the hallway in what looked like a kitchen. While he crept down the hall, he figured there was no harm in peering into the rooms that were open along the way, but he froze when he saw Placido in one.

He was sleeping in a huge bed in the center of the room. The color scheme of this room was purple with red accents, unlike the other rooms Yuusei'd seen. A thick comforter rose and fell with Placido's deep breathing. Yuusei was relieved he hadn't awoken him and decided to retreat to the front door and just leave the keys right inside the doorway. As he turned, a flash of red caught his eye: on the bedside table was a pair of oversized red sunglasses Yuusei distinctly remembered Antinomy wearing one day. Did Placido also have a pair? Or maybe-

_Placido's your "friend." I see._

He would figure this all out for sure later. Putting the keys by a coat rack, he left the house.

* * *

Crow was out babysitting again and Jack was bored. He'd already tried calling Kazama, but apparently he was on duty, since he hadn't answered. That left Yuusei and Kiryu. He hadn't spent much time with either of them since transferring, which was a waste, he supposed. But he'd decided to stop pining over Yuusei, hadn't he? So it shouldn't bother him anymore to see them together.

After convincing himself of this, he headed to their room and knocked. No one answered, but when he tried the knob, he found it unlocked. Entering and looking around, he spotted Kiryu through the half-open bathroom door. He started to call out to him, but was stopped by the realization of what he was doing. The sink was on, its loud stream explaining why he hadn't heard the knocking, and Kiryu was emptying a bottle of pills down the drain one by one.

Jack didn't think. He just stormed across the room, snatched the bottle away from Kiryu, and shoved him against the bathroom wall. "What the _hell_ are you doing?"

"Jack?" There was more anger than guilt in Kiryu's eyes, Jack noticed.

"You haven't been taking your medicine at all! Have you ever taken it? Have you been throwing it away all this time?" Jack pushed him harder against the wall.

"You don't understand," Kiryu answered fervently. "You wouldn't take something that altered who you were, would you? So you _should_ understand!"

Jack shook his head. "You're the one who doesn't get it. There's something wrong with you, Kiryu. Sometimes you're okay, but don't you remember the man you almost killed? What about the guy you pushed down a flight of steps because you thought he was flirting with Yuusei? And what about the time I heard you having a conversation with someone, but when I came into the room, you were alone?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," Kiryu hissed. "I was just tired that day. And those guys deserved what I did and more."

It was obvious Kiryu wouldn't listen to him. Jack wondered if Yuusei could talk sense into him, but doubted it; Yuusei was the one who always ended up assuring Kiryu everything was okay when it wasn't. It couldn't go on like this, though. They both needed some sense knocked into them.

Jack kept Kiryu pinned with one arm while pulling out his phone with the other. "What are you doing?" Kiryu demanded.

"Calling Yuusei."

"No!" Kiryu started struggling, viciously enough that Jack dropped his phone and had to devote all his strength to keeping him from escaping his grip.

"Kiryu, calm down!"

Seeing no other option, Jack swung Kiryu around so that he stumbled backwards into the shower stall. He retrieved his phone and slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. Almost immediately Kiryu was pounding against it, but Jack kept it blocked with his body weight until he could manuever a dresser in front of it. "I'm calling Yuusei now. If you keep shouting like that, he'll hear you." That shut Kiryu up, but he kept trying to force the door open as Jack dialed Yuusei's number and listened to his phone ring.

"Hey, Jack. What's up?"

"Get back here. Right now."

"What? Jack, what happened? I'm driving back to the city right now, but it will be awhile before I'm back."

"I don't care, just hurry up." He hung up and commenced the long wait.

* * *

Yuusei's nerves were on edge as he practically ran from his car to the dorm. Jack had sounded so serious. On the long drive back, Yuusei had imagined a thousand different scenarios of what could be wrong, each causing him to speed a little more. Jack hadn't answered when he'd called back, either.

Knocking on Jack and Crow's door didn't get any answer, so he went to his room next. The door was unlocked, so Yuusei cautiously entered, ready for anything. Anything except Jack calmly sitting on his bed, staring out the window. "...Jack? What-"

As soon as he spoke, someone began pounding on the inside of the bathroom door. Yuusei heard Kiryu call out his name. His eyes widened and he shoved the dresser aside. Kiryu burst out of the bathroom and into Yuusei's arms. Yuusei wasn't able to get a look at his face, but it was obvious Jack had trapped him in there against his will. "What the hell did you do to him, Jack?" he shouted.

Jack returned his gaze unflinchingly. "I caught him pouring his medicine out. He's not been taking it at all."

Those words met solid resistance in Yuusei's mind. Kiryu had said he was; Yuusei didn't want to believe he'd lie. But if Jack believed what he was saying, then he had to ask. "Kiryu? ...Is that true?"

Kiryu pulled away and looked over his shoulder at Jack. To Yuusei's relief, he didn't look overly upset or traumatized or anything. "Jack's lying. I've been taking it."

Jack moved over to them, fists curled and glaring at Kiryu. "Yuusei, I saw it with my own eyes. Believe me."

Yuusei didn't know what to do. Suspicions that he'd tried to squash were reviving and telling him Jack was right. But that meant Kiryu was blatantly misleading him. So he said nothing as he looked between them helplessly.

Kiryu crossed his arms, smiling coldly. "Don't believe him. You wanna know why he's saying this? Because he's jealous." His smile widened. "He's trying to make you mad at me because he's in love with you."

Again, Yuusei was struck speechless. _There's no way... _But within moments, he realized how much it made sense. Actions and words that had seemed inconsequential pieced together in his mind and he found himself unable to doubt it. Suspicious unfinished sentences, catching Jack's stares all the time, and the moodiness that had ensued around the time Kiryu and Yuusei started dating... Jack had always been like a brother to him, so he hadn't realized Jack viewed him differently.

It sort of made him angry. Was that why Jack had made sure Kiryu took the blame all those years ago instead of him? Just because he had unrequited feelings?

Jack appeared just as shocked to hear Kiryu say that. Unable to deny the truth, he could only watch in horror as Yuusei looked at him accusingly, _angrily._

But then the anger faded. "Jack, will you please leave? I need to talk to Kiryu alone."

"Are you just going to ignore what I told you?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. That's what I'm going to talk to him about. But I'd prefer to do it by myself, so if you'd just leave, I'd be grateful."

The pained expression on Jack's face made Yuusei feel a twinge of guilt, but he said nothing as Jack left. He went into the bathroom and found a nearly empty bottle laying on the floor. So Jack hadn't been lying...

Kiryu allowed Yuusei to take his hand and lead him over to sit on the bed. A few minutes passed before Yuusei spoke. "Why aren't you taking them?"

"I don't need them."

More silence. Yuusei wondered if Kiryu was right. Maybe he didn't need them and it didn't matter that he'd thrown them away.

But maybe he did and not taking them was playing Russian Roulette with innocent bystanders' lives. If anything triggered him to lash out, like long ago at the orphanage, he could end up killing someone this time.

"It wouldn't hurt you to take them," Yuusei said quietly. "...I think you should."

"I won't." Kiryu's eyes flashed. "Why are you taking Jack's side over mine!?"

"No, I'm on your side. You know I am, Kiryu. And that's why I want you to do what the doctors thought would help you. I love you, okay?" In a final effort to convince Kiryu, he said, "Just try taking it for a few days. If you really hate it that much, maybe we can figure out an alternative."

"...Fine."

Yuusei watched as he glumly swallowed a tablet. "Are you happy now?" he scowled.

"I'm happy when you're okay, Kiryu." He tried to kiss him, but Kiryu turned away. His face fell and his misery increased when Kiryu didn't talk to him the rest of the evening.

* * *

A/N: Before I say anything about this chapter, I need to mention that I plan on changing some things in the first chapter. Probably not soon, since I think updates would be appreciated more, and it's not a huge thing. I'm actually confused now as to why I had Yuusei and Crow not living at Martha's orphanage until they left for college, so I'm going to rewrite sections that suggest otherwise. This is one of the risks of posting chapters as they're written, but I still prefer it to waiting until a story is completely finished. Now that that's out of the way...

A lot of the things I write concerning Kiryu's dislike of medication are born from personal feelings. That's why I'm not so quick to judge him and want to make it clear that it's very difficult sometimes to do what's best for one's self. Medication comes with all sorts of side-effects and stigmas that if the benefits don't greatly outweigh them, it's easy to hate. Kiryu hasn't realized that it affects more than him when his mind isn't well, though.

On a brighter note... I got to have a bit of androidshipping in this chapter! And there will be more to come. I love cranky and rude Placido so much. I actually planned to have him be more rude, but then he fell asleep on me! Talk about being rude to the writer.

I don't have next chapter titled yet, but it is outlined. We're coming to the end of Part One. This story will have two distinct parts, by the way.

Thanks for reading!


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